In a Different World with a Smartphone (LN) - Volume 15 - Chapter 3

Chapter III: A Happy Twist Of Fate 

“Oh, it connected! Amazing! There’s barely any lag at all!” 
“Naturally, it was all thanks to my hard work of course. Linking up the Dimensional Disruptor proved more tricky than I’d initially expected, but it seems to be working well.” 
I could hear Doc Babylon’s voice through my smartphone’s speaker. Even through a voice-only call, she was exuding raw, smug energy. 
I was standing on one of the peaks of Drakliff Island in the Reverse World, while she was working in Babylon in the regular world. We’d successfully achieved cross-world instant communication, which was a pretty impressive feat in its own right. I could understand why she’d be smug, even if I couldn’t see her making the expression I imagined. 
This technological leap meant we could now act quickly if the mutants appeared in the Reverse World. 
Part of me wished that the Reverse World had an adventurer’s guild, though... It’d make things a lot easier. What I needed was an organization that specialized in collecting and distributing information... I wondered if maybe there was some kind of ninja clan hanging around, like Tsubaki’s people back in Brunhild. 
Est from the Red Cats would probably know something like that, since they were an underground organization. 
I was planning on giving mass-produced smartphones to her and Nia, so I’d ask them when we crossed paths. 
“I’ll be off for a while, then.” 
“Best of luck.” 
“Ping.” 
“Pong.” 
“Pang.” 
Shirogane bowed, causing the three maid Gollems behind him to bow as well. The three of them were definitely growing more human-like in their motions. I was pretty impressed by their learning capabilities. 
Now, Nia and the others... 
I pulled up my smartphone and looked them up. Hm? They aren’t at the abandoned fortress, and they’re not at the underground hideout either... Did they get a new base? 
The place was a little north of the abandoned fortress we’d encountered last time, within the Kingdom of Strain. 
I used [Gate] to move to the old fort’s courtyard. I could’ve used [Teleport] but I didn’t exactly want to chance a repeat of the incident I went through with Nia last time... I didn’t think it was likely to happen again, but I just didn’t want to tempt fate. 
I walked through the portal and out the other side. 
“Wuh?!” 
A young man, perhaps a bit older than me, jumped up in shock and drew his weapon. The red bandana on his head told me that he was a member of the Red Cats. 
“Wh-Wh-What are you doing here?! Who are you?!” 
He didn’t seem to have any idea who I was, and he looked scared out of his wits. 
“I’m Mochizuki Touya. I’m just stopping by here on my way to see Nia. I don’t mean any harm.” 
“Y-You know the boss?” 
“Yeah, I guess. Is Est around, maybe? What about Euni or Euri?” The bandana-clad man immediately turned around and ran into a building, then came out with a ponytail-wearing girl. It was Euni. 
“Yo, long time no—” 
“Touya! You came just at the right time! We need your help!” Euni suddenly cut off my greeting and began pleading instead. I wondered what had happened. 
“Boss and Est are in the middle of a fight! You gotta help them!” 
“Wait, what?!” They’re in a fight? Did the kingdom’s knights attack them or something? 
“They’re to the north, in Ripto village! Those golden devil things appeared! There’s a ton of them! Boss is fighting there, alongside the prince of Panaches... Even though they have two crowns, there are way too many monsters for them to handle!” 
What?! The mutants? And a lot of them? Shit, this ain’t good... I took out my smartphone and projected a map of the area, centering it on Ripto village. Then I ran a search for the mutated Phrase. 
Thud, thud, thud. Pinpoints landed all over the map. There were roughly a hundred of them. Frankly, I was relieved, I was expecting thousands of them... But that didn’t exactly mean I could relax either. 
“Two crowns should be enough to handle that many, right?” I remembered reading in the newspaper that the prince of Panaches had taken out a group of mutants with his crown, so I wasn’t worried about it all that much. 
“Boss and the prince have crowns that aren’t really great against groups of enemies! Plus, if she’s fighting to protect the people, she won’t be able to go all-out with Rouge either!” 
I remembered Rouge’s power. It was the red crown that served Nia. It had monstrously destructive capabilities and could control flames. It asked for its master to shed their blood in payment. 
That definitely wasn’t a power made for fighting multiple enemies. Plus, the more enemies, the more blood she’d have to spill. In the worst case scenario, the blood loss could even kill her. 
Nia couldn’t fight at full power because she’d put her own life at risk, and she couldn’t go too powerful or she’d put all the people at risk. It was a truly terrible dilemma. 
“Alright. I’ll head over.” 
“Thanks so much!” 
A single use of [Teleport] would easily cover that kind of distance. I quickly nodded to Euni before warping off to the battlefield. 
I landed at a good vantage point, a hill overlooking the town. The sight I gazed upon was one of black smoke and ruined buildings. I saw a group of a hundred mutants laying waste to the town. Most of them were Lesser Constructs, but there were a few Intermediate ones dotted around too. 
Using a Frame Gear for head-on combat would be ill-advised, since it’d only cause more damage. That was why I went with something else. 
“Reginleif!” I invoked [Storage] and summoned my Frame Gear. 
I jumped right into the cockpit and set my smartphone down on the main console. I then made Reginleif fly into the sky and activated the Fragarach systems. 
The plated wings on Reginleif’s back detached and began orbiting the Frame Gear. 
“Mode Change: Dagger!” 
“Fragarachs shifting to Dagger Mode.” 
Each of the board-shaped Fragarachs split into four smaller segments. In the blink of an eye, twelve orbital devices became forty-eight blades. 
“Gladius!” 
The swords glimmered on my command. All forty-eight daggers started dancing through the air, piercing through the mutated Phrase below. 
I didn’t know exactly where their cores were, so I just had the projectiles pierce them in multiple points at once. I also made sure not to cause any damage. 
It only took a short amount of time for all the Lesser Constructs to crumble under my assault. There were only Intermediate Constructs left. 
Suddenly, one of the remaining mutants, one shaped like a monstrous centipede, shot a particle beam cannon blast in my direction. 
I tried to maneuver Reginleif to dodge it, but something suddenly jumped up in front of me. It was a small, blue humanoid Gollem. 
It looks similar to Nia’s Rouge... Is this the blue crown, then? Not that I really needed saving... But still. The thought counts. 
It held its arm up against the incoming beam of light and bent the light back. The blast was deflected into the sky at an angle. Huh. What was that? 
It was kind of similar to my [Reflection] spell... At least it looked that way at a glance. I wondered if that was what the Gollem’s skill was. Guess it... Saved me? I guess. 
I willed several of the crystal daggers to pierce the centipede mutant, and after a few slices, its body began to melt into gross goop. Three left. 
“Mode Change: Blade.” 
The daggers began forming into several longswords until there were twelve of them in total. I launched four of the blades against each of the remaining mutants. 
A sound of screeching metal rang out into the air as the mutants were run through and disposed of in no time at all. Black smoke began to rise from their bodies, and they melted into goo. 
That was that. 
I used my camera to survey the town, and found it was mostly in ruins. Unfortunate, but there was nothing I could have done. 
I quickly spotted Nia and Est. They seemed fine, as did Rouge and Akagane. 
I set down Reginleif in front of them, then hopped out of the cockpit. 
“Touya?! That was you?!” 
“Sure was. I went to the fortress to find you, and Euni told me to assist. Glad to see you guys aren’t any worse for wear.” 
“What... Forget about that a sec... Where’d that massive Gollem come from?!” 
“It isn’t a Gollem. It’s a Frame Gear, and... Uh, forget it. I’ll explain later.” 
I needed to sort out the roaring fires around the town before carrying on the conversation. 
“Man, what a pain... Descend, O Water. Blessing of the Heavens: [Heavenly Rain]!” 
Raindrops kept falling on my head, and then they kept falling everywhere else as the clouds spread out from above me. I quickly moved under a nearby building, and the light drizzle turned into a heavy downpour. After a short amount of time, the clouds vanished, and the sky looked as though there’d never been any there to begin with. 
“That should take care of the fires.” 
“Amazing... You really can do anything, can’t you?” 
“You’re like the sorcerers of legend...” 
Est and Nia looked up at the sky in bewilderment. 
[Heavenly Rain] was an ancient spell that allowed you to determine radius and amount of rainfall based on your own magic power. According to Leen, most people would only be capable of casting it over an area the size of a small dining room. 
That meant the spell would be useless to most people, but it wasn’t to me. Either way, it probably became a lost art because of its lack of functionality, it was just pointless as a spell. 
If you needed a bit of water, then casting [Water Ball] would be more than enough. But I definitely found it handy for emergencies, and also crop watering. 
“Wait, forget the magic. Tell me about that Gollem!” 
“It’s not a Gollem...” 
Nia started yelling, and Est simply looked on at Reginleif with curious eyes. Rouge and Akagane also seemed inquisitive. 
I wondered how to best explain the situation to them. I didn’t exactly want to lie to them, but it’d probably take a while to explain. We needed to go back to the fortress if they wanted the full story. 
“Truly magnificent!” A loud voice suddenly called out from behind us. I turned around and the sight I saw was enough to turn my expression into a deep, troubled frown. 
The man in front of me was the absolute visual embodiment of the word “prince.” He had short golden hair in a bob cut, with a little crown sitting atop his head. He wore a small, blue cape on his back. His legs were adorned with white tights, and he had puffy striped pumpkin pants. 
If he was a cute little boy then the look would be novel, and adorable... But he wasn’t. He was clearly around my age... so it looked weird, and forced. I didn’t know what to make of him at all. He looked just like he’d leaped out of a storybook. 
He was likely the prince from Panaches. The small blue Gollem that used the reflection-based technique was standing next to him. 
“Truly, truly, truly magnificent! Such strength, such poise! My body quivers in anticipation!” 
The pompous, exaggerated prince began lavishing praise upon Reginleif. He was certainly... hyperactive. 
“...Who is this?” 
“That’s the prince of Panaches. Robert Tell Panaches. He’s also the contractor of the blue crown, Distortion Blau.” 
“He’s a dumbass prince. Nothing more.” 
Nia grumbled quietly, following up Est’s more formal answer. I could sort of understand what she meant. He didn’t exactly look normal. 
“You there! Are you perhaps this beautiful Gollem’s master?” 
“Not exactly? I mean, it is mine...” 
The prince took his gaze away from Reginleif and began quickly stepping in my direction. He grinned broadly and moved using his whole body as if he was trying to dramatically assert dominance. He reminded me of an overenthusiastic actor. 
“I see! Most curious! Then you have my thanks, my most astute and honest thanks! I’ve no idea what might have happened if you hadn’t arrived! Could I please hear your name, my friend?!” 
“U-Uhh... It’s M-Mochizuki Touya...” 
“Mochizuki Touya, you say?! Has a nice ring to it! I am the crown prince of the Panaches Kingdom! Robert Tell Panaches! But please, we are friends now, so just call me Robert! Ever since I was a child I have had very few friends, you see! I’d appreciate it if you completely ignored my magnificent, royal, gilded blood! Please ignore the silver spoon in my mouth! It isn’t important! My brilliant lineage is simply unimportant!” 
Robert took both of his hands and tightly grasped one of my own, shaking it like an excited child. His eyes practically had stars in them... I was a little annoyed. 
He didn’t seem like a bad guy. He was just too... eager? He was way too fired up about everything, so I wasn’t too surprised to hear he didn’t have many friends. I definitely couldn’t understand his weird fashion sense, either. 
“Hey, idiot. Let go of my friend’s hand.” 
“Why, he’s my friend too! Is there a problem?” 
“Yeah there’s a problem, it’s you! I don’t wanna know anything about you!” 
“Now now, Nia Belmot! Don’t limit your friendships! I’d like it if we could get along better, too!” 
“Don’t be gross, asshole! I don’t wanna hear it, dumbass prince!” 
“Goodness me... The red crown’s master is certainly a shy one, isn’t she?” 
Nia glared at him like he was a piece of crap she’d just stepped in, and he was innocently smiling back at her. I had no idea what was going on here at all. I left their argument... If you could even call it that, and talked to Est. 
“He’s certainly a character, huh?” 
“That’s one way to put it. Regardless, he’ll shut down soon.” 
“Shut down?” 
As if to answer my question, Robert suddenly stopped speaking. His eyes immediately closed, and he faceplanted into the ground as if he’d just had his batteries removed. 
Wh-What the hell?! Did Nia get a surprise hit in while I wasn’t looking? I got closer to check what was going on, and... I heard him snoring. The mad lad had straight-up fallen asleep. 
“That’s the price the blue crown claims. The blue crown controls spatial distortion. Much like how Nia must offer up her blood, the contractor of Blau needs to offer up his own consciousness. He’s forced to sleep.” 
Spatial distortion? Guess that explains how it bent away the beam. Still, that’s quite the compensation... Sleeping doesn’t actually seem all that bad, though. 
“The blue crown can bend space and teleport much like you can. I’m not sure if I’m convinced of its uses, though... The contractor always falls unconscious within an hour of activating Blau’s power.” 
“How long is he gonna be asleep for?” 
“Depends on how many times he used the powers. If I had to make an estimate, he’ll probably be out for two days this time around.” 
Two whole days? That definitely sucks. I’m not even sure if it’s worth the trade-off... Hell, if he falls asleep in the middle of a fight he could die. I wonder if he’ll fall into an eternal slumber if he uses it too much... Guess that’d make him more of a Sleeping Handsome rather than a Sleeping Beauty. 
Wait, what do we even do with him? As I pondered to myself, the small Gollem by his side picked him up and hoisted him over his shoulder. Seemed like it would carry the prince home. 
“Prince!” 
“Master Robert!” 
Two knightly-looking people came running toward us from the town. One was a man, and one was a woman. According to Nia, they were his escorts and were never seen away from him. 
It made sense that he’d have people with him, since he fell asleep at random based on his power usage. 
The blue crown, Distortion Blau, turned away from us and began walking toward them with the prince in tow. 
“Hmm... So that’s red, purple, and now blue... Are there no ordinary crown contractors, I wonder...” 
“Did you say something?” 
“No, nothing at all.” I was lucky Nia hadn’t heard my muttering. She probably wouldn’t have liked me musing about her being abnormal. I needed to take care of what I said out in the open, lest I invite danger. 
Nia and Est were technically bandits, so they couldn’t hang around for too long. I called Reginleif back into [Storage], and then fired up a [Gate] to bring us back to the abandoned ruin. 
 
“To be honest, I have trouble believing this... But believing it would answer a lot of questions.” 
“Huh... I thought you were strange to begin with, Touya... But this whole tale makes you even stranger.” 
“Gimme a break.” 
I was in the fortress hideout with the Red Cat leaders. Currently, we were seated in a tent within the main courtyard. 
I told them the whole story. About how I was from another world, about how I was royalty, and about how the mutated Phrase had appeared in the other world as well. I told them about my intentions to take care of the threat. 
All four of them were here. Nia, Est, Euni, and Euri. They all had equally confused expressions as they sat around the table. 
“So... Those metal devils... Or rather, these mutants... They’re going to keep on appearing?” 
“I’m afraid so, yes. In my world, we have a league of nations that keeps the whole world in the loop, but there aren’t any similar countermeasures here. That’s kind of what I’m hoping to fix... We were lucky there weren’t a lot of them. But if a large group appeared, they could take out a whole nation.” 
“Th-This wasn’t a large group? How many is, then?” 
“They could appear in the tens of thousands. In the end, no country will be able to stand up to them all... Not even the ones in my world could do it alone, which is why we’re working together.” 
When faced with an extra-terrestrial threat, the entire world really has no choice but to start working together as one. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a world left to rule over. 
I didn’t think getting nations in the Reverse World to co-operate would be much of a cakewalk, either. There was that whole Primula issue earlier, too. 
“Wh... Hold on a second here... Tens of thousands? There’s no way we could face off against them!” 
“Nia, Est... You remember that Frame Gear thing I showed you earlier? They were originally designed to combat the Phrase, the species that these mutants derived from. We have hundreds of them standing at the ready.” 
“Hundreds of that thing...?!” 
That wasn’t strictly true. It wasn’t like I had hundreds of Reginleifs in reserve. I couldn’t show them the other models, since I didn’t have any on standby in [Storage]. 
“So, what’s your next step?” 
“I want to gain an audience with any person or organization that can help me gather information on this side. I already have ties in Primula and Triharan, but that’s not nearly enough to cover the whole world.” 
“Would other countries even believe you? Even if they hear you out, they’ll probably just laugh when you say you’re from another world...” 
Euri was right. Primula believing me was due to extremely specific circumstances. But even if they didn’t believe me at first, they’d have to eventually. When the mutants attack their towns and slaughter their people, they’d have no choice but to believe. 
I didn’t want it to come to that, though... I wanted to co-operate with nations before they were brought to the brink of collapse. 
“Hmm... Well, I do know of an information brokerage...” 
Oho, great. I knew I could count on Est... Wonder who the broker is. 
“Alright? What place? Do I know it?” 
“It’s Papillon.” 
“Wait... Papillon? Don’t they run the black market?” 
That was the place I’d gotten the three Etoiles. If I recalled correctly, the criminal organization that managed the black market was known as Papillon. Nia had said it was a vile organization that did anything in the pursuit of cash. 
“Papillon is actually in the middle of an inner conflict right now. After the attack by the purple crown, they sent out several assassins and failed multiple attempts on the contractor’s life. In retaliation, the purple crown and its master killed all the leaders of the organization.” 
Fanatic Viola, I think it was called... And its master was that psycho chick, Luna. 
Wherever they went, carnage followed. I had no interest in seeing them again. 
“Papillon split into two groups as a result. There’s a group that operates above ground, and one that operates underground.” 
Est explained that the above-ground group managed inns and brothels as its main source of income while offering shady spy services like information gathering and rumor manipulation under the table. 
The underground group, on the other hand, was dealing with more dangerous jobs like assassination, thievery, arson, and trafficking. The black market fell under their jurisdiction. 
The leader in charge of the above-ground branch and the leader in charge of the underground branch had been openly arguing ever since the overall bosses were killed. Tensions were apparently reaching a fever pitch. 
“The previous leader had no heirs, so the successor is expected to be one of the two sub-leaders... Right now they’re engaged in a bitter feud about who should take over.” 
“Huh, I see. So I should go after the above-ground leader.” 
“Right. They’re masters of information gathering. Papillon’s inns are spread out all over the world, and they have a presence in every major city.” 
That sounded good to me. A network that wide would probably rival the adventurer’s guild. 
“...Wait, Est. The leader of Papillon’s above-ground department...” 
“Indeed... She’s Silhouette Lily... Also known as Kageyuri.” 
“N-No way! We can’t send Touya into her clutches! The poor guy’ll be sucked dry!” 
Nia began flailing her arms as her cheeks turned red. I wondered what she was getting worried about. It was just a lady, right? 
“Is she scary, or something?” 
“...Yes. Kageyuri is primarily in charge of Papillon’s brothels, and she’s a notorious woman... She’s rumored to be undefeated in terms of seduction, causing man after man to fall... I’ve met her once before, and she’s truly what I’d define as a man-eater...” 
Hmm... A brothel master? Well, it can’t be that bad. It’s a little ominous, but it should be fine. 
“Kageyuri isn’t exactly adept in terms of fighting power compared to the underground boss, but she makes up for that in sheer number of subordinates. If you can get her on your side, she’ll be invaluable.” 
“So, how do I meet her?” 
“We’ll use our connections to find out where Kageyuri is right now. After that... Well, you can just go and meet her, I suppose.” 
Is it that simple? Something feels weird here. I don’t exactly want to get into trouble... 
Little did I know that trouble was quickly becoming a lifestyle for me. 
 
I found myself to the north of the Kingdom of Strain, in the commerce-based city of Cantere. 
I headed straight for the red-light district and found myself at the highest-rated brothel in town. It was a gaudy-looking place called the Moon Parlor. It was lit up like a grand pavilion. There were bits of neon decor here and there, too, glowing in all kinds of different colors. I hadn’t exactly come here as a customer, but there was still a nervous lump in my throat. 
“...I bet this place ain’t cheap...” 
I wondered how much it’d even be for a night. Maybe a platinum coin? It’s not like I couldn’t afford it... But I wasn’t here as a customer... I definitely wasn’t here as a customer. There were some stairs leading up to the main entrance, with two burly guys in suits standing at the bottom. I was seriously intimidated just being near them. 
Still, nothing would come of anything if I just stood still, so I moved onward. I didn’t want to loiter around, that’d just look shady. 
I braced myself for the glare of the bouncers and started ascending the stairs. I opened the door and found myself in a long hallway lined with stained glass windows. At the end of the hallway was a man at a desk. He wore all black and had a bit of a slimy smile. 
“Welcome to the Moon Parlor, friend. Is this your first time?” 
The man had a short beard and looked to be around thirty. His smile seemed painfully sweet. No matter how you looked at it, his smile was a businessman’s. I was bad at dealing with guys like him. 
“I’m a first-timer, but I’m not here for pleasure. I’m here to see Silhouette Lily.” 
“...If you’re not seeking pleasure, friend... Then leave. Before you find pain.” 
The smile was wiped clean from his face, and he stabbed me with a sudden threat. Judging from his response, I was in the right place. 
“She’s here, right? I just want to talk to her. I won’t be long.” 
“Hey, knuckleheads! Get this putz outta here!” 
The two bouncers from the door came down the hall toward me. One of them stretched out a beefy arm and attempted to grab me. I responded by touching his hand and invoking [Paralyze] instead. 
“Gwuh?!” He fell to the ground, and I quickly cast the same spell on the other guard. They were kind of just doing their jobs, but I didn’t want them in my way. 
“Bastard! Are you one of Zabbit’s cronies?!” 
The bearded businessman unsheathed a concealed dagger and swung it toward me. I had no idea who the hell Zabbit was supposed to be. It was possible he was the guy in charge of Papillon’s underground branch, though. 
“Never should’ve come here!” 
“[Slip].” 
“Gaaah!” 
The man suddenly stumbled over the ground itself and did a beautiful backward somersault. His dagger slipped from his hands and embedded itself in a part of the wall. That thing was sharp! I guess even being part of surface-level operations didn’t make him any less of a crook. 
“I don’t know any Zabbit. I just want to meet with Silhouette. Let her know I need to see her.” 
“Urgh...” 
The man glared daggers at me from the floor. He wasn’t interested in cooperating, but I didn’t exactly want to tear the place up. 
Suddenly, a woman’s voice called out from above us both. 
“My, my... I’d appreciate it if you didn’t raise more of a fuss.” 
“M-Ma’am?!” 
There was a woman standing at the top of the curved staircase on one side of the hall, she slowly made her way down. She had long hair and hazel eyes, and seemed to be around twenty years old. Her body was... Curvy in all the right places, and pretty well-proportioned. The white cheongsam she wore hugged her figure, and the white lily-shaped hairpin she wore helped tie the whole look together. But the look itself wouldn’t have been possible without the natural beauty she radiated. 
This must’ve been Silhouette Lily, the Kageyuri. 
She was definitely as gorgeous as the rumors said, but she was the kind of beautiful that would make me hesitate. For some reason, I felt like I needed to have my guard up around her. 
“So you’re Silhouette Lily?” 
“That is the case, yes. I don’t know who you are, sugar. It’s awfully rude to visit a working girl without a prior reservation. I’m rather busy.” 
“I’m sorry for that, but I’d been informed that trying to arrange a meeting in advance probably wouldn’t have gotten me one anyway.” 
“And who told you that?” 
“Est, of the Red Cats.” 
My response caused her to raise a brow, and her expression softened slightly. Silhouette Lily then smiled and continued down the stairs. 
Ohh... Her legs are totally bare... And her thighs are kinda peeking outta the dress... Ghh... I’m weak against women like this... 
“Seems you aren’t one of Zabbit’s tools, then. What do you want with me, boy?” 
She came down the stairs fully and walked over to me with a crooked grin spreading across her cheeks. But I wasn’t paying attention to the gorgeous woman in front of me. I’d sensed something else. I whipped out my smartphone to confirm my suspicions, and my intuition was right. 
“...Before that, can I ask something? There are around fifty people surrounding the building right now. Did you schedule a group meeting, or are they uninvited too?” 
“Huh?” Silhouette blinked in confusion. At that moment, the stained glass windows lining the hallway shattered, and a few men jumped into the building. 
At least I thought they were men. They were just humanoid. Thin Gollems with clothing wrapped around them. 
They had ruler-length blades jutting from their wrist mounts. The Gollems completely disregarded me and the desk clerk and attempted to slash at Silhouette. 
“Boss!” 
The prone guardsmen cried out, unable to do anything. Their voices alerted me in time to channel my magic. 
“[Shield].” 
I raised my hand and thrust it in Silhouette’s direction, casting an invisible barrier between her and her attackers. 
“What is this...?” Silhouette stood there in confusion as the Gollems were deflected. They continued to smack against the barrier with their weapons, but it was pointless. 
“Confine, o Ice! Everlasting Confinement: [Eternal Coffin]!” 
After my chant finished, ice began to sprout up beneath the three Gollems, and in seconds they were trapped inside rectangular pillars. It was an ancient spell I’d recently looked up in the library, they wouldn’t be able to escape. 
Silhouette looked around in confusion before moving toward me from behind the pillars. 
“...Did you just do that?” 
“Should I not have?” 
“No, I just... You saved my life... That was extremely dangerous... And those Gollems... Oh... Wait, did you say we were surrounded?” 
“We are, yeah. Want me to take care of them? I’ll do it if you listen to what I have to say afterward.” 
“...Very well. If you can really handle them all, then that’s the least I could do.” 
Ha! Gotcha! That’s a verbal contract! Alright, time to take out the trash. 
 
“Alright, I guess that’s that.” I stood outside the Moon Parlor’s entrance, surrounded by collapsed black-clad men. They were all on the ground, of course... And their Gollems were sealed in frozen pillars. 
I just want to be clear here, none of the men were dead. I didn’t even scrap their Gollems. 
A bunch of thuggish-looking men came out of the Moon Parlor and dragged the unconscious men away. Part of me hoped they were going to hand the guys in to the authorities, but I also knew that was a naive expectation. 
These guys were definitely not random, innocent citizens. Hell, their outfits basically reminded me of some kind of criminal secret service getup. Not to mention they all exuded a threatening aura. That kind of made them second-rate, in my opinion, but it wasn’t like they were trying to be subtle so it didn’t make much of a difference. 
They were probably going to torture the unconscious attackers and find out who sent them. I had a feeling they already knew who the mastermind was, but it never hurt to break a few fingers to be sure. 
“...You really managed it. Tell me, are you one of the Red Cats?” 
“I’m not, no. But I am a friend of theirs.” 
Silhouette’s voice reflected the fact that that she was still in shock from what she’d just witnessed. 
“...Hmm. If he’s really attacking me so brazenly, it seems the time for peaceful negotiations is over.” 
“Who, Zabbit?” 
“Yes. Zabbit Grandt... He handles the underground affairs of Papillon.” 
That was about what I had expected. He probably considered Silhouette to be a pain and wanted to kill her... Although, given how weak these guys were it was probably meant to be more of a message to her. 
She’s really beautiful, after all... If the guy was really that scummy, he’d probably think of it a waste to have her die. 
“He’s been harassing us more recently and has even done horrible things to the girls that work for me. Many of the girls have been emotionally wounded by his vile commands, as well... That man is a pig, and he’s been unspeakably cruel... I love the women that work for me, so I’d rather have them shake their hips in pleasure than shake their whole bodies in fear.” 
If that was true, then it was pretty despicable. I didn’t like the idea of such a brute trying to take out Silhouette. 
Still, the situation was getting pretty dangerous... Now that this intimidation attempt had failed, he could actually end up trying to kill her. 
“Now, as I promised... I’ll talk to you. Please, come this way.” 
Silhouette led me back into the Moon Parlor. Once I made it inside, I saw a large crowd of people gathered in the foyer. 
“Wh-What?!” 
I froze up on the spot when I saw them. They all stared at me. There were a few guys standing around, but most of the people were girls... And all of those girls were in varying states of undress. 
Some were wearing skimpy dresses, allowing me to see their underwear... Some of them weren’t even wearing bras. Holy crap were... Were they with... clients? D-Doing it...? Doing... that?! Augh! W-Wait, some of them aren’t wearing clothing at all! 
“Wooow! You’re, like, so strooong...” 
“Thanks for saving us. Oh gosh!” 
“Mmh... How about I give you a little present as thanks? Wanna spend the night between my legs, sugar?” 
“Hey, don’t just offer him that! You should let him slip into something comfortable first. Like me.” 
“O-Oh! N-No, ladies, please! I-I have some... I have some stuff to attend to, please!” 
The girls started grabbing at me, pulling me back in no matter how many times I tried to escape their clutches. 
Oh no... What’s that nice smell? Hh... What’s that soft feeling against my back?! What the hell? Did someone just kiss me on the cheek?! Wait, why is my arm wet? HELP! 

“That’s enough, girls. Back to your bedrooms, I have business with the boy.” 
Silhouette clapped her hands together and the girls begrudgingly returned to their rooms. Some of them were grumbling and muttering things like “No fair, the boss gets to hog him...” Some of the guys went into the rooms with them, too. Presumably, they were customers. 
I’m glad it’s over. 
“Are you alright, hm? Seems you were a little... Overstimulated. Are you perhaps unfamiliar with the touch of a woman?” 
“...N-No comment.” 
I sheepishly looked away from Silhouette, who was giggling up a storm. ...That really caught me off-guard. It was a bit too much for me to handle. 
The air was a little awkward for a while after that, but we finally made it to the top floor of the brothel. We passed through a pair of heavy doors and came out into a fancy-looking room. From all the luxurious furnishings, I could’ve easily confused it for a royal bedroom. Not even the rooms back in Brunhild castle were this nice. 
I sat down on the couch and looked around the room. When I looked up I noticed there was a skylight installed, giving me a full view of the full moon. 
There was a little black cat curled up on a pillow next to me. I assumed it was probably Silhouette’s cat. 
“Would you like a drink? A real drink, I mean... Or are you the kind who prefers fruit juice?” 
“I’ll take the juice, please.” 
Silhouette shrugged and brought a couple of drinks to the small table in front of the couch. She then sat on a chair opposite me. Her drink fizzed and bubbled quietly, it resembled champagne. 
“So, what exactly do you want of me? I haven’t even heard your name yet, you know.” 
“Oh... Sorry about that. I’m Mochizuki Touya. Right now... I guess I’m a visitor to this area.” 
“A visitor? Very well. I’ll hear you out.” 
With her permission, I laid out the general outline of what I wanted, and why. I told her about the golden monsters that would randomly appear around the world, and the fact that I could detect their emergence. Then, I told her I wanted her organization’s help in installing these detectors and information-gathering. 
“Golden monsters, eh? We’ve definitely heard eyewitness reports of these things all over the place. I tend to hear things before anyone else does... A country lost an entire village to them, you know. Another country lost an entire squad of battle-equipped Gollems to them as well. I do find it hard to believe that they’re invaders from another world, though.” 
“You’re certainly well-informed...” 
“Of course I am. I’m the head of all Papillon’s espionage, after all. It’s my job. I hear everything in this world, before anyone else. From major incidents in governments and politics to minor rumblings in thuggish crime families.” 
I was impressed, but not terribly surprised. It would make sense that most towns in most countries would have brothels or inns, and some of those would probably be operated by Papillon to some degree. 
If members of Papillon joined the staff there, or if they were the managers of the facilities, then gathering local information would be incredibly easy. That information would then be passed on to Silhouette. It was doubtful that every town in the world fell under Papillon’s shadow, but it was highly likely that the majority of them were at least slightly tainted. 
“And what would I gain for helping you, exactly?” 
“...I mean, you’d get advance warning on when the mutants, er... the golden monsters, would arrive. It’d let you evacuate faster.” 
“That doesn’t sound especially enticing... And it’s not like they’ll emerge near my towns every time, right?” 
She wasn’t exactly wrong. From a partnership perspective, it was obviously more for my benefit than hers. 
But when the mutants began attacking more, she’d surely see the benefits... Not that I wanted it to drag out that long. It’d be too late if she only realized at the end. 
I wondered what she’d stand to gain, or even what she’d want. She probably had something in mind already, given the sly grin on her face. 
I sighed quietly as I realized what she was waiting for me to offer. 
“...Fine. I’ll handle the Zabbit guy. Is that enough?” 
“Hehe... I like smart little boys... Things run much smoother when you know what a woman wants.” 
Her sly grin warped into a full-on smile as she crossed her legs. I quickly moved my gaze upward, as her cheongsam dress almost offered a glimpse into the void. 
“Hmm... Now you have me curious. Could you have been involved in the incident between Primula and Triharan the other day?” 
Heh, she even knows about that? Then again, there were a lot of eyewitnesses so I guess it’s not that shocking... 
I didn’t have anything to hide, so I told her about how I supported the Primulan government, abducted the heir, and captured the head of the senate. I also told her I planned on cooperating with both countries going forward. 
“So you can use teleportation magic? That’s quite amazing... Could you perhaps grab Zabbit and bring him before me?” 
“...I mean, yeah. I probably could. But what would you do? Kill him and become Papillon’s sole leader?” 
If Silhouette wanted to handle responsibilities like assassination and more morally messed up stuff, then I needed to reconsider whether I wanted to work with her or not. 
Papillon wasn’t exactly like the Red Cats, they weren’t doing things in the name of chivalry or justice. I wasn’t asking them to go completely straight and clean up their acts, but I couldn’t overlook the really criminal stuff. 
Silhouette must have noticed the shift in my expression. She leaned back and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. 
“Me? Papillon’s leader? No thanks. In truth, I’d like to sever ties with that branch entirely. If they hadn’t started hassling us, I’d have left them alone and continued with my work... But Zabbit is a man of great greed and ambition, and he won’t be satisfied unless he has his fingers in my pies too.” 
“So you just want to handle inn management and brothel-running?” 
“Not at all. In this world, money is power. And information is an incredible currency. I plan on continuing our intelligence operations, but not for overtly malicious purposes. If I used the information for extortion, it’d probably be against corrupt nobles or crooked merchants.” 
That made sense. She wasn’t exactly shedding all criminal activity, but I could tolerate what she was describing to me. It was basically the same as what Nia and the Red Cats were doing anyway. 
“For the time being, then... would it be enough to disable the underground portion of Papillon?” 
“Mm... I suppose? What are your ideas, Mr. Mage?” 
“Well, I could take the easy method and place a curse on them.” 
“...That got dark all of a sudden. What do you mean by a curse?” 
Silhouette raised a brow. I could understand her suspicion, but a curse was the easiest thing for it. I could simply curse him in a way that prevented him from taking action against us. 
Then again, that wouldn’t exactly work, since I didn’t know all the members of the group. 
“Do you know where the Zabbit guy is?” 
“You won’t have to go far. He’s in this very city. He lives in the tallest tower in the northern sector.” 
Silhouette stood up and pulled back a curtain. I looked out the window and saw a massive tower that shone out into the night. 
I’d noticed it on my entry to the city. I’d actually thought it was a clock tower, but my guess had been wrong. 
It reminded me of the Ryounkaku. It was a twelve-story building that had been around in Asakusa from 1890 to 1923. I’d read about it in my history books during school. The tower I’d seen in the books wasn’t quite so needlessly gaudy-looking, however. 
I couldn’t believe the creep was this close to us. 
“Pretty flashy and self-indulgent for a criminal’s home, isn’t it?” 
“As far as most people are concerned, he’s just a merchant. Publicly, I’m just a brothel owner as well. We need cover identities, in the end. The citizens aren’t aware of the true extent of our activities. Not even the merchants he does business with are aware he’s a devil in disguise.” 
This guy was sounding slimier by the minute. Like a villain that only cared about himself. He was a far cry from the nobility of the Red Cats. 
“Some of the girls who work at my brothel were homeless before I found them. I’ve heard stories from them that he has a bad reputation as an abuser of homeless people... It’s like a game for him, teasing the lives of others...” 
Silhouette’s face turned sullen, but the tension was broken by a knock on the door. A maid appeared and apologized for the intrusion, before speaking with Silhouette. She quickly left after a brief exchange. 
“What’s up?” 
“We have a confession from our attackers. They came here on Zabbit’s orders, with the intention to threaten me. They were also told to kidnap me if the chance presented itself.” 
Well, that’s that then. Guess I don’t have to hold back against the guy. 
“Can you tell me some of Zabbit’s personal features? Physical features would be good.” 
“Hm? Well, uhm... he has wiry hair and a mustache. Oh, and he wears gold-trimmed glasses. He’s over thirty, and definitely looks middle-aged... He has a golden walking stick, too! And his eyes are super leery, like he’s undressing you with them!” 
I felt like the last point was probably something exclusive to his interactions with Silhouette, but it was enough information to go off on. 
I projected a map into the air and ran a search for Zabbit. I received exactly one hit based on the criteria, and it was a person in the highest room of the building. 
Silhouette seemed surprised by my map, but I couldn’t be bothered to explain. Hmm... The distance is about that far, and the angle is... Hmm... 
“Alright, be back soon.” 
“Hm?” 
Without stopping to explain, I used [Teleport] to warp straight from Silhouette’s room to Zabbit. My vision warped and I found myself facing an older-looking man with wiry hair. He was just about to tuck into a thick steak. 
“Wh-Huh-How?!” 
His mustache was wide and wiry, kind of like catfish whiskers, he was wearing a gaudy-looking changshan and had unnecessarily golden glasses. There was no doubt about it, he had to be Zabbit. 
I immediately judged him to be the guy I was looking for, so I wordlessly walked over and grabbed him by the neck, then used [Teleport] to bring us back to Silhouette’s room. 
“Guh!” 
“Eek!” Zabbit groaned as I threw him to the floor, and Silhouette shrieked at our sudden appearance. 
There we go, abduction accomplished. Barely took me any time at all. 
...Maybe I’m getting a bit too used to this, though... This is the second time in this world that I’ve basically kidnapped someone... I’m a good guy, I swear! 
“Wh-Who are you?! Where am I?! Don’t you know who I am?!” 
Zabbit scowled and yelled as he pointed the fork he’d been holding at me. It still had a chunk of meat on the end of it. After a short amount of time, he noticed Silhouette, and his eyes narrowed. He turned his hate-filled voice toward her. 
“I see... So this was your doing? You stupid bitch. Had you shut up and obeyed me, I’d have let you keep your job... But you really have a deathwish, don’t you?” 
“I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. I’m not going to work for you. Please refrain from bothering me and my workers again. This is your final warning.” 
“Pfft. There can only be one leader of Papillon, harlot. If you won’t obey, then you’ll simply die. Hey, you!” 
I blinked in confusion and cautiously pointed toward myself. What, me? 
“Eliminate this slut. I’ll give you all the gold and whores you can dream of. I’ll even let you be one of my trusted aides. And if you work hard, you might even rise in the ranks of Papillon and—” 
“You really are a moron.” 
“Gwaugh!” I pulled out Brunhild and fired a paralyzing bullet into his gut. He keeled over and faceplanted into the floor. 
“D-Did you kill him?” 
“Nope, just paralyzed him. He’s basically unharmed, and he’s completely conscious. He just won’t be able to move for a while.” 
I used my foot to roll Zabbit over on to his back. His eyes were glancing around in fury. He was conscious, so he’d be able to see, hear, and feel everything going on. I crouched down at him and glared at him, speaking to him as coldly as I possibly could. 
“Hey, scumbag. I’m about to place a curse on you. So long as you behave, like a good boy, you have nothing to worry about. The conditions are simple. Don’t do anything against Silhouette and her people, ever again. Don’t get involved with her affairs, either. Not only you, but your subordinates too. If even one of your cronies does something, the curse will trigger. Your entire body will slowly, permanently, be paralyzed... Eventually, the paralysis will creep into your rotten heart, and make sure it never beats again. Got it?” 
The fear in Zabbit’s eyes was starkly visible. He had evidently gotten the message. 
“So long as you abide by the rules, the curse won’t trigger. Just go about life honestly and properly, okay? If any of your subordinates harass Silhouette or her people, even of their own volition... Even if you didn’t ask, the curse will start spreading across your body. Better keep your men in check, creep.” 
The conditions seemed pretty fair to me. It was all simple enough. I didn’t think it was an especially harsh curse, given the man’s crimes. Hell, he could easily reduce the chances of the curse triggering just by relocating his base of operations to another city. 
“Brand, o Dark. Sinful Brand: [Guilty Curse]!” 
The curse was applied, and a small insignia appeared on Zabbit’s forehead. It was the mark of his curse. 
I used [Recovery] on him to relieve his paralysis. The moment I undid it, he hopped up in a seething rage. 
“Y-You wretch, what did you do to me?!” 
“Uh, I just told you, dude. I cursed you. Are you sure you wanna hang around here? I’m pretty sure you’re violating the curse conditions just being on her turf.” 
“A curse?! Bullshit! Nonsense, that’s... Wh— My... My fingers... Why can’t I feel my fingers?!” 
Zabbit clutched his right hand as his face paled. The curse activated once. If he didn’t hurry and leave, it’d keep going. Frankly, I was fine with having him suffer a bit of it, due to the things he’d done to Silhouette’s people so far. Plus, actually feeling the effects would make it more real to him. 
I opened up a [Gate] to the room where he’d been enjoying his steak and kicked him back through it. It wouldn’t be as fun if he just died there and then. 
With that, my mission was accomplished. 
There was no way he could mess with Silhouette now, not unless he wanted to die. He also had to make sure his cronies didn’t try to start anything either. 
Plus, he couldn’t exactly explain what had happened, either. If his people knew about the curse, then there could be some who’d bother Silhouette just to keep triggering the curse. He’d only be able to tell people he truly trusted, but I doubted he actually had people like that. 
“Well, that’s the end of that chapter. He shouldn’t cause you guys any more trouble, I think. If he wants to maintain his hold over Papillon’s underground stuff, then he’ll have to do his best to ignore you and leave you alone.” 
Silhouette stood and stared blankly at me for a while. When she finally finished processing what had happened, she gave me a timid nod. 
“...That is quite the curse. So then, we’re freed from the shackles of Papillon... With a curse like that they’ll actively be avoiding us. This is incredible... It was a problem that had been on my mind for so long, and you took care of it so easily.” 
Silhouette seemed utterly amazed. I didn’t know what to say, so I just shrugged a bit. 
“I’ve held up my half. You gonna work with me now?” 
“Definitely. Just let me know what I have to do.” 
Awesome. Now I have the support of a massive information network in the Reverse World. Now all I have to do is gain access to an army that can physically fight the mutants. 
There’s no Babylon in this world, either... It’s really just trouble after trouble for me... 
“B-By the way... Do you have any plans this evening? Would you perhaps like to play a little downstairs? I’ll let you have the entire facility for the night, if you like...” 
“Hm? Play?” 
I didn’t really understand what she was getting at, but then I saw the coy smile on her face and the gears started to turn in my head. She was propositioning me. 
“If you want, I’ll let you use me, too...” 
Silhouette leaned forward in a way that revealed her cleavage. Whoa, nope! Abort mission! This is too much! 
“N-No. No! Oh goodness, look at the time. It’s quite late, huh? Let’s go over the details of our business partnership later on, then! See you!” 
“What a shame...” 
I used my divinity to escape her seductive gaze, then warped straight back to Brunhild. 
I was definitely bad with girls like her... The sexy older types... I felt like she’d chew me up and spit me out. 
Not that I disliked them... I just needed to be clear about that. I didn’t exactly have an issue with people like her... They were just scary. 
...Geez, what a day... 
 
Several days had passed since I cursed Zabbit on behalf of Silhouette. 
Without so much as a word, the man and everyone related to him suddenly vanished from the city. 
It was understandable why, since he wanted to minimize any chances of encountering her or her people. 
His gaudy tower had its lights switched off due to the sudden disappearance of its owner. 
I had a feeling it wouldn’t take long for it to regain its luster, though. There were many merchants in this city, and surely one would want to live somewhere so unnecessarily luxurious. 
Silhouette had no plans to take up residence there, at any rate. Her group also formally broke off from Papillon and rechristened their organization. They were now the Black Cats. 
The name was similar to the Red Cats, and I think that was an intentional decision on their part. On the other hand, it could’ve just been named for the little cat in Silhouette’s room. I didn’t know for sure. It also seemed like they were now self-proclaimed rivals to the Red Cats, since they operated similarly. 
I was in the middle of passing various items to Silhouette. 
“So this is the device that can detect those golden monsters...?” 
“Yeah. They can report how far the emergence point is from the devices, and in what direction. They can also predict when they’ll emerge, so you can arrange evacuations. I’d like you to give one to each of the inns and brothels under your control, and get in contact with me whenever you get a reading.” 
Silhouette nodded along as I explained how the devices worked. She raised her brow in curiosity as I passed her a mass-produced smartphone. It only had my number on it. 
I planned on giving phones to Nia and Est, but I didn’t want Silhouette and Nia getting into phone contact with each other. Apparently, Nia had something against the brothel owner. 
Est might’ve been able to make use of contact with Silhouette, but frankly, I didn’t want to chance it. Both Est and Silhouette were cunning, so putting them together in private communication felt dangerous. 
“Very well, then. I’ll abide by our arrangement. I certainly can’t renege now you’ve given me this. It seems like you weren’t lying about how much of a worldwide threat they are, too... I’ll be sure to contact you if we detect any emergency events, so don’t worry about that. Now... Could I perhaps ask that the young women beside you calm down a little bit? They are aware that there’s nothing going on between us, right?” 
Silhouette grinned and jabbed a teasing comment in the direction of Yumina and Lu. The two of them were clinging tightly to either side of me. 
“I-I know you aren’t a bad person, but you’re a threat to us. Please understand.” 
“I-Indeed. Touya is ours, and we don’t exactly like the idea of him being led astray by you or your people... A-A-And don’t you think you’re showing a little too much skin?!” 
“You’re certainly well-loved, Touya... I’m jealous.” 
“Ahaha...” I could do nothing but laugh awkwardly. I was trapped between a rock and a hard place. 

After I’d returned from the Reverse World, something bad happened. Apparently there was a lipstick kiss-mark left on my cheek, and the smell of perfume was also noticeable. The girls, understandably, lectured me on why I shouldn’t be visiting brothels. 
I was able to defuse the misunderstanding pretty quickly, but they still decided that I had to have people accompany me whenever I visited Silhouette and her establishment. 
They really had no confidence in me. It was true that this place kind of riled me up, though... They probably noticed the place got me a little excited. But I couldn’t help that. In case they hadn’t noticed, I was a guy. 
“Well, I can understand being upset about your guy hanging around my establishment... Still, it seems like you guys are all virgins, huh? So... Some of our girls and customers get off on being watched... Would you like to have a little look at them in action? It might prepare you better.” 
“Wh-What?! H-Have a look?!” 
“A-Action?! What kind of action?!” 
The two of them began shaking their heads rapidly. Their faces were completely red, and it looked like steam was about to shoot out of their ears. 
Silhouette grinned broadly at the sight... She was clearly having fun at their expense. 
Geez, the two of them are really sheltered... so it’s not like they’re good with adult situations. Hell, it’s not like this world has a porn industry like my old world or anything... Wait...! I nervously stared at Silhouette, then glanced at the smartphone in her hand. Regret began to seep through me at the core. 
...Th-The camera function on that thing... can record videos... And I know from my old world that sex sells... Don’t tell me I accidentally started an adult video industry here... N-Not that I’ve seen any adult movies or anything! I’m underage. That would be immoral. 
I turned my attention back to the two girls, I didn’t want them passing out due to the blood rushing to their heads or anything. 
“Fufu... Their innocence is really delicious.” 
“C’mon now, quit teasing them... They’re innocent girls. They can’t handle it.” 
“Oh, and you’re saying I’m not?” 
“Are you saying you are?” 
“Not in the least.” 
We chatted a little further but eventually, we left the Moon Parlor behind us. The girls remained embarrassed the entire time we were there. After that, we headed off to the Red Cats, since there were a few things I needed to sort with them. 
“Oh? Someone like you has a fiancée, Touya? Hell, you have two of them? Nice work, man! You must be a real ladykiller.” 
Nia latched on to that little detail just like I’d expected. Her eyes were practically glittering as she probed my fiancées for information like a gossiping old lady... She was certainly irritating. 
What’d she mean by “someone like you,” anyway?! She didn’t have to be so damn rude. 
“Actually there are nine of us. We’ll all be marrying Touya at some point in the future.” 
“N-Nine?! Th... That’s way too many! What are you, royalty?! Wait... Yeah, you are royalty! Is that kind of thing normal in the other world?! What gives?!” 
Yumina’s reply seemed to shock Nia, who responded by folding her arms and firing out rapid commentary. 
...Nope, it’s definitely a lot there, too. The king of Egret has like, seven, and that’s considered a lot. Though I did hear that the piggy guy from Sandora had over twenty before he died. 
“Putting that aside... These smartphones of yours... Is it really alright for us to have them? We appreciate it, but they seem to be quite sophisticated...” 
“Yeah, I want you to have it. You’ll need it in case of an emergency. It has functions installed into it like a notepad, a map, and even a calculator.” 
Est was skimming the user manual when she apprehensively asked us if it was really okay, but I said it was fine. Behind her, Euni and Euri were playfully taking selfies together with their own phones. 
We’d swung by the Red Cat fortress hideout to give the four of them mass-production models. That was the primary purpose of the visit, but I also wanted to ask about something else. 
“...I know it’s kinda rude to ask for something in return, but I might need your help.” 
“Hmm? If it’s something we can actually do, we’ll do it for you!” 
Nia was the leader so I felt like I was going over her head by asking Est about it, but... Est was basically the leader anyway. 
I left the tent and took out several large oval-shaped capsules from [Storage]. They were each about the size of a mini-van. 
“What are these?” 
“They’re called Frame Units. Yumina, Lu, could you demonstrate?” 
“Yes, of course.” 
“Leave it to us!” 
The two of them hopped up and, as if very used to it already, opened up the Frame Unit hatches and got inside. After a few moments, a low rumble came from the powered-up devices, and a large screen was projected into the air in front of them. It seemed like they’d chosen the Great Plain level. 
On the holographic display, we watched a Shining Count and a Knight Baron materialize out of nothing and land on the field. Yumina was in the Shining Count, while Lu had taken the Knight Baron. Unlike the Frame Units in the castle, these ones didn’t have the relevant data pertaining to their Valkyrie Gears. 
“Ohh! Those must be like that giant Gollem!” 
“This is... The thing from the other day?” 
“Wh-Wh-Wh-What are those things?! How are we seeing them?! Where are they?!” 
“Wow...” 
All four of the girls showed varying degrees of interest. There were also some generic Red Cat soldiers staring at the screen with their mouths hanging open. 
“These are Frame Units. They’re virtual reality training devices, designed to give you piloting experience for the Frame Gears.” 
The battle on the screen had already begun. The white knight piloted by Yumina brought its sword against Lu’s black knight, but a shield swiftly blocked the hit. Lu then used the momentum to thrust forward with her halberd, but Yumina deftly ducked away from the hit. 
“I’ll be letting you guys borrow these, so please have everyone in the fortress train using these... Just treat it as a leisure activity.” 
“...You intend to prepare us for battle using the real things, don’t you?” 
“I hope it doesn’t have to come to that, but... Yes. It’ll probably have to happen in the future. I think preparing you to wield something that can protect your world is a good thing, in the end.” 
Est stared at the ongoing battle for a while in silence, and then she nodded. 
“We’ll take them and treat them as a leisure item, then. If we can learn how to pilot these Frame Gears of yours, we might not need you to swoop in and save us like last time.” 
I passed a manual to Est. It was less of a manual for Frame Units specifically, and more for Frame Gears in general. 
The battle on the screen ended with Lu’s victory. She was definitely better than Yumina when it came to close-range fighting situations. That being said, the fight was a close one. I wondered if Yumina’s future sight had improved, given that she’d managed to hold her own so well... 
It had been a while since she mentioned her power to view the future. When she last talked about it, it wasn’t exactly very useful, but if it continued to develop then it’d be a valuable asset. 
I wondered if the other girls were also experiencing personal changes as their own individual potentials began to blossom, too... 
The Frame Unit hatches opened up, and the girls clambered out. 
“Alright, me next!” 
“Ah, Nia... There might not be much point to you practicing with that thing, so there’s no need to overdo it.” 
I stopped Nia as she charged toward the Frame Unit. She turned around and glared at me like I’d just slapped her in the face. 
“Are you mocking me?! I wanna learn right away!” 
“No, that’s not what I meant. Elluka has been working with one of my researchers to develop a Frame Gear based on Gollem technology. From what I understand, only legacy Gollems are gonna be capable of operating them, so we’ll probably want you to train using the new system we’re developing instead of this one. That’s why there’s no real point to you practicing with the Frame Unit, is all.” 
I looked toward the small red Gollem next to Nia. I was hoping that we’d be able to make something that could fully bring out the potential of a crown model like Rouge. 
“Well, okay... But there’s no problem with me practicing in this until then, right?” 
“I mean, I guess not. Go ahead and play.” 
“See?! It’s fine! Hey, Lu! Show me how this works!” 
Nia grabbed Lu by the sleeve and dragged her toward one of the pods. 
“...She seems quite the lively person.” 
“...That’s just a polite way of calling her an idiot. Even Est agrees with me on that.” 
Yumina was clearly trying to keep her regal poise about her. I just shrugged and sighed. 
Euri and Euni went into two of the other pods as well. They seemed just as excited as Nia to give it a try. Lu hopped into the third, and Nia into the last one. Then they began their first lesson. 
The four girls appeared on the screen. They began basic motions like jumping, crouching, and moving in different directions. They looked a little unsteady, but I was sure they’d pick it up. It was basically the same for our knight order. 
Now all I needed to do was pass on Smartphones to the leaders of Primula and Triharan. I figured I’d bring Mentor Central... Or rather, Queen Palerius, to visit Primula as well. 
It was a pretty wild story to think about. Both descendants of the same man, both became royalty in two different worlds... 
If you put it in perspective, this was basically a family reunion five thousand years in the making. That was kind of a big deal... Though to be honest they probably wouldn’t have much in common besides ancestry. 
Actually, that reminded me, Elluka said something about a stone tablet that had been passed down the Primula royal family. It was possible I’d be able to decipher it, so I wanted to take a look. 
I quietly pondered to myself as I watched the virtual Frame Gears training together on the display. 
 
“Good day. I am the queen of Palerius Island, Central Palerius, descendant of Alerius Palerius.” 
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Primula, Lady Central. I am the king of Primula, Ludios Primula Palerius, descendant of Lerios Palerius.” The two Palerius descendants shook each other’s hands firmly. 
Lerios Palerius was Alerius Palerius’ son, so they were basically descended from the same family. 
After five thousand years, two branches of the same family had finally been reunited. 
Queen Central wasn’t alone. She’d brought a few escort knights and Millie West, the representative of Palerius Island’s western city. 
Millie asked us if she should come, and I was a little apprehensive about it... But I could understand her concerns about their island’s queen heading to some unknown world alone. 
I’d cast my translation magic on everyone so communication was completely fine. 
The girls who had been chosen to, er... monitor my activities this time, were Yae and Hilde, so I had a sword-wielding duo preventing me from getting into hot water. 
“You have my thanks, Sir Touya... For allowing a reunion that transcends space and time.” 
“Don’t sweat it, honestly. It’s only fair that you get briefed on your family history. The people of Palerius Island already knew about this world, after all.” 
I waved dismissively toward the King of Primula. It was probably about time for me to tell the other world leaders about the Reverse World... It was no longer just my issue alone. 
“These documents were left behind by Alerius. We have various copies, so you may keep these.” 
“Fascinating, thank you... These are theories relating to Space-time magic? This is certainly going to be worth a read...” 
Space-time magic was, in short, a separate form of magic from the six major schools, and Null. It seemed to be a form of magic that lent itself well to magical devices, meaning even those without any elemental affinities could make good use of it. The interdimensional gate on Palerius Island could be considered a culmination of that kind of research. 
This world had items that employed that form of magic in a way that replicated the effects of my [Storage] spell. 
They took the form of those storage cards, like the one Mr. Sancho had. Apparently, that tool became commonplace in the world due to the work of Lerios Palerius, who passed down his Space-time knowledge to future generations. 
It seemed Primula was a pretty focused nation compared to others when it came to the pursuit of magical research. Its breakthroughs were still nothing compared to the level of the world I’d come from, though. 
I passed them a copy of the magical book I’d given to Nia, as well. Hopefully, they’d be able to do some good with it. 
“Now then... Lady Central, Sir Touya... There’s something I’d like you to take a look at.” 
The king of Primula glanced to the left. A butler responded to the gesture by bringing over a wooden box and setting it on the table in front of us. 
The box was rectangular, roughly A4 in terms of size, similar in size to a medium-sized notebook. The king opened it up, revealing a padded interior with a black stone tablet resting upon it. 
“What is this?” 
“This has been passed down to us since ancient times. It is the legacy of Lerios Palerius.” 
It was rectangular, much like the box it was kept in. The surface had been polished to the point where it was incredibly shiny, and as I leaned over it I could see the reflection of my face staring back. There were no distinguishing features on it at all, it was just a plain black tablet. 
“Is... It a mirror, perhaps?” 
Hilde tilted her head as she pondered. It could certainly be used as a mirror, but I doubted that was the primary intended function. 
The king of Primula chuckled softly before handing off the tablet to Central. 
“Would you mind channeling some of your magic through this?” 
“My magic? Hm... Ah!” When Central poured a little magic into it, the tablet began lighting up with red-colored, glowing shapes. They kind of resembled cuneiform writing, a wedge-shaped symbol-based written language invented by the Sumerians. 
After a while, the symbols vanished before appearing once more. The new ones looked similar, but they were a little different in places. Then, they vanished again before being replaced by another set. It seemed like the tablets were scrolling through multiple pages of text in an unknown language. 
I wondered if this was similar to the messaging book that the adventurer’s guild used to communicate between branches. 
“Each generation, the new king receives this tablet from his predecessor. The language written here was only understood by Lerios, so we have no idea what to make of it. Some speculate that it was the alphabet of the world Lerios came from to begin with.” 
That was interesting. Plus, it explained why he was so eager to show us. But it was definitely my first time seeing this language... so it wasn’t the kind regularly used in the world I knew. 
“Sir Touya... Have you perhaps seen these letters before?” 
“Can’t say I have... This isn’t any of the ancient languages I’ve come across so far...” 
Guess it’s a language they used five thousand years ago... Sucks, but I got no choice but to ask Doc Babylon about it... Or maybe I should ask Fam. It’s been a while since I went to the library... It’s kind of annoying dealing with that shut-in, though. 
Just as I was about to tell them I’d return home for a bit, Central opened her mouth. 
“Actually... this is a language passed down on Palerius Island. It was originally used by an unnamed tribe, and Alerius Palerius used the language in some of his inscriptions.” 
“R-Really?! Th-Then you can read this, Lady Central?” 
“I can. Not just me, either. All four of the descendants that govern the major cities on Palerius Island should be able to read it. Millie? Can you make this out?” 
Central passed the tablet to Millie, who was seated beside her. 
“...Yes, it’s plain as day. There are some parts where the structure is a little awkward, but I can generally grasp the full meaning. Given that I’m the most educated about this language as far as our island goes... I should be able to produce a passable translation.” 
Lerios, the first king of Primula, was Alerius’ son. It made sense that he’d write using the same languages as his father. But given that it seemed to have been written in something obscure, it must have been something the guy thought was worth encrypting. 
“Hm... Is this a historical record? No... From the layout, it’s more like a diary... Hm? This part here... Crystalline beasts... Oh! Is this referring to the Phrase?” 
“The Phrase?! Is there something about them written there?” 
“Yes, it seems so... There’s some more difficult stuff here I can’t fully make out, but... Give me a little time and I’ll have something.” 
After Millie spoke, the king of Primula called over his butler, who brought a few bundles of paper to the table. 
“These are copies of the text from the tablet. Please use them as you see fit.” 
“Thank you. That helps. Could I have something to write with?” 
Millie scanned her eyes over the pages, occasionally narrowing her eyes and writing down a rough translation of what she was reading. 
Central read the entries on the stone tablet at the same time, her expression flittering between confusion and shock now and then. The rest of us could do nothing but wait around. 
Damn it. If I knew the name of the language, I’d just be able to read it myself... 
After a while, Millie put down the paper and passed them over to the king of Primula. 
The king began passing me the papers that he’d finished reading, allowing me to take a look at what we were dealing with. 
It was like a mixture between a diary and a historical record, meaning that the tablet was probably like a personal memorandum book that belonged to Lerios. 
I began reading the papers that chronicled the strange adventures of Lerios Palerius.

Today’s Date: 19th of Skywater, 2015 
 The eastern capital is gone. Crystals consumed it. They’re making tracks for the grand capital now. Father, rest his soul, will see his wishes granted by my elder brother. My brother has departed for the island, along with the other disciples and their families. Once we trigger the barrier on the island, the crystals won’t be able to get us. But on the other hand... We won’t be able to see the outside world ever again. Though such fears seem futile now, I doubt there’ll even be a world to go out to once all this is over. This is our only method of survival, so we must grasp it with both hands. But even if it is what will save us, I can’t help but feel guilty. 
 
 
 
Today’s Date: 21st of Skywater, 2015 
 I’m supposed to be heading off to the island soon, toward the gate our father dedicated his life to building. But I can’t. This country needs me. Much like my father before me, I have found a purpose. I need to trust this person, and the two they’ve brought with them. They’re come from another world, after all. With their help, we may yet set things right. We might even be able to drive these crystals from our world... I must be honest, our chances are slim... But I’m willing to bet it all on this last chance. I will believe in this mysterious stranger, and the white and black he holds dominion over. 
 
 
 
Partheno’s Date: 3rd of Soilguide, 2015 
 There has been a complication... The white and black’s power has run completely wild due to their master falling to despair. As a result, the vast majority of the crystals were purged from my world. But the reckless and distorted nature of their might affected all in the area without discrimination. I have crossed into another world entirely. My entire family is back there, and I cannot reach them. I see the irony in that avoiding the destination set out for me by my father, I have ended up achieving the very thing he sought to reach. I wonder if I’ll be trapped here forever... 
 
 
 
Partheno’s Date: 5th of Soilguide, 2015 
 I have no hope here. The magic of this world is far less developed than that of my home’s. I’m all alone here, and I have little in the way of communication. I find it hard enough to survive here, so what hope have I of reaching my home again? My thoughts constantly drift back to those I’ve left behind. Brother... All of you on that island... Were you caught in their rampage? Are you safe? 
 
 
 
Partheno’s Date: 17th of Shineloop, 2015 
 I’ve been welcomed into a tribe of people. They’re called the Primula. By sheer coincidence, the young girl I saved happened to be the daughter of the tribe’s chieftain. It seems my suspicions were right, and magic isn’t well-developed in this world at all. My abilities may pale compared to my father, but I can still use it well enough to amaze and stupefy the tribesmen. It’s somewhat amusing to me, though, given that I find their usage of these mechanical dolls just as strange and incredible. Regardless, these people are kindhearted, friendly, and clearly appreciative of my deeds. I’ve decided to stay with them for a while longer. I’m grateful for the company. 
 
 
 
Partheno’s Date: 6th of Dusknight, 2019 
 The war between the Primula and the Zalza is over. The Primula have won. That means that Primula controls most of the territory in the area. It has been some time since my last entry, but in that time much has happened. I took the daughter of the chieftain as my bride and ascended to the position of leader myself. I have been uniting the tribes through negotiation or force, and we are now the Kingdom of Primula. I have not fully lost hope. My brother and the other islanders will surely find a way to this world soon enough, which is why I must secure this territory in order to keep them safe when they arrive. I’m hoping to meet with them soon, so that we might finally reunite. I hold that hope in my heart as I continue my work here. 
 
 
 
Partheno’s Date: 17th of Flamewing, 2051 
 It is my fondest hope that... Someday... Be it in the lifetime of my children, or their children, or their children’s children... That those who found themselves on the island will pass through my father’s Gate and make their way here, to their true home. When that time comes, I hope the people of Primula will greet them with warm drinks, open arms, and boundless love. Please. Treat them kindly. This world would be sadder if it experienced any more of the loneliness I had to endure. 
 
 
 
I put down the papers and let out a deep breath. If this was true, it meant Lerios came to the Reverse World after the accident that removed the invading Phrase army. 
His brother and the others closed themselves away on Palerius Island, never realizing that Lerios had gone and done something that saved them all... And that was where they stayed for five thousand years, fending off Behemoths all on their own. 
The Palerius lineage has suffered a lot... 
I’d assumed Lerios had passed through to the Reverse World before his dad died, but it seemed like I was wrong. 
Still, there was a more pressing matter I wanted to address. I turned to the king of Primula. 
“The white and black mentioned in the text here...” 
“Mm... They’re likely Gollems. The black is surely the black crown, Chronos Noir. The white is likely the white crown, as well.” 
Knew it. Old man Palerius probably got info on building his gate after meeting the two Gollems and whoever their master was. Then I guess he passed away without being able to complete the whole thing. His eldest son then found the island, while his second son got blasted into the Reverse World... 
“Touya-dono... This diary is strange, it is... If we go by it, then the white and black should be somewhere in our world, they should.” 
“Yeah, I guess... But I think I heard the black crown and its master exist in this world nowadays...” 
Euri had mentioned something like that, if I remembered correctly. She’d said something about the black crown’s master being a rival of sorts to Nia. 
But in that case, how did the black crown make its way back to this world after the disaster? I wondered if it had been accidentally blown back here like Lerios, or if maybe that was just its power to begin with. 
But that made me wonder what was up with the white crown. If it had something to do with the world’s boundary being repaired, then I wanted to know about it. 
Either way, I clearly had to meet up with this black crown. 
“Do you know where the black crown is?” 
“I’m afraid not. The black crown and its master came through here a few days ago, but they left after I mentioned a few things about Elluka.” 
“Hm? Why would the black crown’s master be asking after Elluka?” 
“Hm? You didn’t hear from her? The black crown’s master is Elluka’s younger sister.” 
Wait, what?! I didn’t know that at all... Why wasn’t I informed?! 
“I did mention a few things related to you as well...” 
Before the king of Primula could carry on talking, my smartphone started ringing. I apologized for cutting him off, then picked up the phone. It was an incoming call from Shirogane, on Drakliff island. 
“Sup. Something wrong, Shirogane?” 
“I’m terribly sorry to call you while you’re in the middle of things, but there’s a spot of trouble over here...” 
“What is it?” 
“Well... There’s an intruder on the island, and they’re causing quite a stir. It seems to be a girl, and she’s demanding you show yourself. It’s a young-looking girl and a Gollem, yelling accusatory remarks. She claims you kidnapped her sister... I’m afraid the way things are going, your holiday home could very well be a target soon.” 
Huh? Kidnapper? Me? I mean sure, I’ve done a little kidnapping here and there... but that doesn’t make me an actual kidnapper! 
I wondered if this sudden intruder was the younger sister of Elluka. If she was, this was a serious speak of the devil moment. I certainly hadn’t expected to be hunted down. I asked Shirogane to tell the rampaging girl to calm down and wait for me, then hung up the phone. 
Guess I’ve got no choice but to drag Elluka with me. Seems like whoever the girl is, she’s pissed. But still, don’t call me a kidnapper! Elluka’s the one who asked to come with me! 
Geez... Red, blue, purple... Seems like no matter which crown contractor I find, there’s always something wrong with them. Wonder if this girl’ll be any better... But there’s only one way to find out. 
 
There were several unconscious Dragons laying around Drakliff island’s beachfront. None of them were dead, but their injuries looked grievous. 
There was a barrier on the island that prevented non-Dragon intruders from entering. It was at its edge on the beach that I found the young girl, who stood atop a fallen Dragon with her arms crossed. 
She wore a white blouse with a thick black ribbon at the neck, along with a black skirt and tights combo from the waist down. Standing by her was a small, knightly-looking Gollem. It was jet black and had a long scarf. A little bit behind the two stood a maid with short, violet hair. She had a regretful expression on her face, but I was wondering why there was even a maid here to begin with. 
The girl herself was really small... She was younger than Sue, hell she looked younger than Renne. I estimated she was around six or seven years old. Despite her looks, I sensed a strange kind of smug aura emanating from her as she glanced around. 
I was using [Long Sense] to view her from the safety of my mountain villa, so there was no way she could’ve seen me. 
“That’s your sister?” 
Elluka wordlessly responded to my query by nodding her head rapidly. I projected the image of her into the air, and just looking at the girl prompted Elluka to sweat profusely. I wondered if she was afraid for some reason. 
“Alright, let’s go talk to her. If you can just explain the situation, then we—” 
“No way!” 
She outright refused. She immediately began clinging on to the nearest object, as if preparing to hang on for dear life. 
“She’ll get angry! You won’t like her when she’s angry!” 
“What are you, a little kid? Come on...” 
I stared blankly at Elluka, who had planted her feet firmly against the ground and kept on shaking her head. I wondered if she was really the elder sibling in this situation. Yae, Hilde, and I were at a complete loss. What were we supposed to do? Elluka was older than us, but she was acting like a little kid. 
I glanced at Fenrir, her wolf Gollem companion, and quietly implored him for help. 
“Mph... My master is rather bad at dealing with her sister. Given that she left this world and took off without even informing the girl, she’ll surely be quite angry... I’m not entirely sure if I can do anything here.” 
“She didn’t contact her, she didn’t? Is there a reason she did not, is there? Surely she could have sent a letter, she could.” 
“If I’d sent a letter, she’d have been able to trace where it came from! And if she traced it, she’d come capture me!” 
...What are you, a runaway? Why are you that scared of making your little sister mad? If you’d just communicated properly before coming to Babylon, we wouldn’t have this issue! 
“My master likes to charge into action without considering the implications. She’ll often forget her circumstances and charge into new opportunities whenever she can. It is a poor habit on her part.” 
I could certainly see that. She came to another world without any hesitation on her part... So I could probably understand why her sister would be frustrated. 
Regardless, sitting around wasn’t going to solve anything. 
“Alright, let’s go.” 
“Nooo!” 
Hilde grabbed Elluka by the legs, but she held on for dear life and absolutely refused to budge. 
She was like a little kid throwing a tantrum, and it was starting to piss me off. 
“Perhaps, Touya... You could speak to my master’s sister first? If you explain the circumstances, she may calm down... Potentially...” 
“Ugh...” 
I wasn’t really good with kids that thought they were tough. That one time the king of Palouf’s fiancée picked a fight with me, I ended up making her cry. 
Hell, she was even younger than the girl I fought... I had my doubts she’d even understand my explanation. I shrugged, then asked Yae and Hilde to watch over Elluka while I reluctantly walked down to the beach. 
The little girl stood atop the unconscious earth dragon, glaring in my general direction. 
The two of us stared each other down, the barrier the only thing between us. Due to the fact that she was standing someplace elevated, I had to look up to meet her gaze. 
“Are you the Mochizuki Touya that the king of Primula told me about?” 
The girl looked down on me condescendingly, the effect amplified by the fact that she had the high ground. D-Damn... She sounds a lot sterner and more confident than I expected. 
Given that she’s strong enough to make it out here, too... This might not go so well. 
“That’s right. You’re Elluka’s sister, right? What’s your name?” 
“Norn. Is something funny? What’s with your face?” 
“Ah, no... Sorry. I just know someone else with that name.” 
I smirked for a half-second in surprise. She had the same name as one of our higher-ups in the knight order back in Brunhild, Norn. It wasn’t a super rare name, apparently. They definitely had different personalities, though. 
“So? Where’s my sis?” 
“Cowering up there, for now. She doesn’t wanna come down.” 
“...I’d have let you off with a light beating if you played along, but you’re going to hold her hostage?” 
“Huh?” 
“Noir!” 

The black Gollem charged toward the barrier and smashed its fist into it. 
Obviously it wasn’t strong enough to break through, and its tiny fist was held back by the invisible wall. 
...You’re really gonna attack like that? Talk about hot-blooded. 
“Hey, listen to me. I didn’t kidnap your older sister, okay? She tagged along with—” 
“Noir! Summon Weapon No. 10: [Newton]!” 
“Affirmative.” 
Before I could even finish my sentence, the black crown materialized a massive hammer out of nowhere. It was ridiculously oversized! The Gollem itself wasn’t even one meter tall, but the hammer was easily the size of a minivan. I had no idea what to say. 
A shattering sound rang out as it brought the massive thing down, and the barrier protecting the area crumbled. Clearly that hammer of his was no ordinary weapon. 
“Noir! Summon Weapon No. 9: [Schrodinger]!” 
“Acknowledged.” 
Norn called out, and the black crown responded. The enormous hammer vanished into particles of light, replaced by two magical-looking guns. 
A bolt of lightning shot from each of the guns. It didn’t look strong enough to be fatal, but I wasn’t going to sit around and take it either. 
“[Absorb].” 
I used my magic to drain the incoming blast. Several shots followed, but all of them met the same fate. 
I needed to take out the Gollem, but I didn’t want to break it. I decided on the next best thing. 
“[Prison].” 
The crown pulled out the hammer again at the last second, but I’d mixed some of my own divinity into this particular spell. It wasn’t going to break. 
The black crown was now encased in a partially see-through cube, about one meter in diameter. With the Gollem immobilized, I leaped toward the girl atop the unconscious Dragon. 
“Milady!” 
The maid, who had been standing off to the side, suddenly pulled out a thin blade from nowhere and came charging at me. Yikes, can’t be doing that... 
“[Paralyze].” 
I moved to the side and grabbed her by the wrist, then cast my spell. But... For some reason, the maid wasn’t affected at all. 
“Wh—?!” I dodged her follow-up attack and regained my composure. She seemed physically strong, but untrained in swordplay, which meant her strikes were too telegraphed. 
My spell didn’t work? Does she have a talisman or something? I didn’t expect the people in this world to have stuff like that... 
“Sorry, but... [Gravity].” 
“Eek!” I placed my hand on the maid’s shoulder and she came crashing down to the ground. 
“Guh!” 
Norn suddenly pulled out a magical gun from under her coat. She pointed it down at me. 
“[Slip]!” 
“Gaaah! My spellcaster!” Norn slipped and fell down from the Earth Dragon, dropping her weapon in the process. I quickly sealed her up in a [Prison], much like her Gollem. With that, it was checkmate. 
“Gwuh! Open this right now, you bastard! Kidnapper! Coward! What school of magic do you draw from, huh?! Perversion?!” 
“...There’s nothing perverted about me. What are you talking about?” 
I suddenly frowned as I looked at the girl, who was now frantically pounding her fists against the walls of her confines. 
Hm... Does she think I kidnapped Elluka for her body or something? Urgh... That’s pretty messed up. 
I sighed quietly and shook my head. There had been a fundamental misunderstanding that I had to clear up. 
 
“...So yeah, now you know the story. Elluka asked to come to my world. Pretty firmly, might I add. Do you get it now?” 
“...I understand, yes. There’s a lot of it that seems odd to me, but I have a good grasp on the situation... It seems my sis has caused you a bit of a headache.” 
My shoulders sagged in relief. I was glad that someone as young as her even understood what I was talking about, but given that her sister was some kind of unparalleled genius, it stood to reason that this girl would be following suit. 
“...So, would you mind letting me out of here?” 
“Oh, my bad.” 
I released the [Prison] around Norn, ending her grumbling. 
I also dispelled the cage around Noir and dispelled the effects of [Gravity] that I’d cast on the maid. 
The maid dusted herself off and bowed her head. 
“Well then, nice to meet you. Name’s Norn Patolakshe. This is my Gollem, Noir. My maid here is named Elfrau... What’s with the funny expression?” 
“Oh, sorry... It’s just, there’s a country in my world called Elfrau...” 
“Oh. And you said I had the name of someone you knew, too? That’s kind of annoying.” 
Yes. It definitely was. 
“My name is Elfrau. If that’s too confusing, you may refer to me as Frau.” 
Elfrau said something that reminded me of my maid, Cesca. Surely El would’ve been a more logical nickname? Kind of like how Fran would’ve been a better nickname for Francesca than Cesca... Perhaps there was some unwritten rule I was unaware of. 
“So, my dumb sis is up there?” Norn pointed up the trail toward my villa. 
Dumb sis, huh...? I guess even being a world-renowned genius doesn’t matter when family’s concerned. 
“Fenrir’s with her, too. Elluka ended up panicking because she thought you’d be mad at her.” 
“Obviously I’m mad at her! Not only did she go to another world without telling anyone, she spent two whole years wandering around! She’s been walking all over the world, causing trouble... And who do you think has to mop up her messes?! Me! I’ve been suspected of crimes thanks to her! I got involved in shady stuff with casino owners because of her! All sorts of dumb stuff! I have more than a few words for her!” 
It seemed like Norn had quite a few bones to pick with her elder sister. I decided the wisest thing to do was let them both hash it out. 
“...Man, you sure have it tough. Elluka sure is a bad sister, having a little girl like you take care of her problems.” 
“Ack, don’t say that...!” 
“Ill-advised language detected.” 
The maid, Frau, and the black crown, Noir, both attempted to warn me in their own ways. 
Hm? I turned and wondered what they were talking about, which distracted me from Norn’s quick-draw on her gun. She brandished the spellcaster with a menacing fire in her eyes. Then, she dashed forward and, at point-blank range, blasted a metallic pellet right into my groin. 
“Hngh! Ghhh!” 
I couldn’t even speak. All the wind was knocked out of my lungs and I fell to my knees. Then, I curled into the fetal position, cradling my precious crown jewels beneath my palm. 
Hngh... I-It hurts...! I-It hurts... Ghhh... Ghaaaugh! Why?! What I felt was the pinnacle of male body pain. Sweat caked my face, my back, my arms, and my legs. The sensitivity made it hard to move, so all I could do was writhe atop the sand. 
There wasn’t anything I could do but ride through the agony. 
“Don’t you dare call me a little girl! I’m fifteen!” 
Fh... Fifteen? Th-That’s the same age as Linze and Elze, isn’t it? Nngh... I-It’s still hard to breathe... Oh... I can see... I can see a white light... Is it my time already? 
The surprise attack was driving me wild with anguish. She couldn’t possibly have understood what I was experiencing. 
“A-Are you okay?” 
“N-Not... really... But... let me lay here... fhh... for a while...” 
Frau rushed over, but I just shook my head. There was nothing anyone could do for me. I just had to wait... 
Something similar happened to me once in the past... It was the work of the storehouse’s Terminal Gynoid... That clumsy idiot, Parshe... I didn’t expect to receive this kind of critical damage again. I was careless... 
“Suggestion: Apologize for rash action.” 
“Guh... No way, Noir! He was rude to me first!” 
The Gollem turned toward its master and shook its head. If she was six, maybe this would be forgivable, but there was no way I’d forgive a teenager for this... Hell, I wasn’t so sure I would’ve actually forgiven a six-year-old. 
Seemed like she had a complex regarding her physical appearance. Which seemed fair, given that she looked to be around six or seven years old. She definitely wasn’t part of a race with a long lifespan like Leen, either... so I wondered what was up with her. 
I quietly cursed her name as the dull pain continued coursing through my gonads. It was at that moment I made a silent vow to enchant my pants with [Shield] as soon as I possibly could. 
 
Chronos Noir. 
That was the name of the black crown. Its abilities were space-time manipulation. 
It was capable of pulling things from alternate realities and different worlds for about a minute. 
Those abilities weren’t limited to physical objects, either. It could pull forth alternative concepts such as weight, resistance, strength, or even alternate versions of itself. It can use these to amplify its own powers. But such power obviously comes with a price, as with all the other Gollems. The black crown could only use the full extent of its abilities during the night, and whenever it did, its master’s physical age was reversed in proportion to the strength of the ability. 
In terms of time magic, it could peek a few seconds into the future, enhance its own speed, and even slow down enemies. However, it wasn’t capable of stopping or rewinding time... Not yet, at least. 
“So what you’re saying is...” Doctor Babylon took a few steps to her right, then pointed to where she’d just been standing. 
“Let’s call where I’m standing right now Point A. Let’s call where I’m pointing, where I was a few seconds ago, Point B.” 
“Okay.” 
“And a couple seconds before that, I was standing over here. Let’s call that Point C. A few seconds before that, I was standing right there. Let’s call that Point D. So now, each second has left an imprint in time, and I exist in those particular positions for the seconds I spent in them. To be blunt, the black crown doesn’t pull things from different worlds so much as different times. It could realistically pull the me from Point B, the me from Point C, and the me from Point D out into this moment in time, allowing me to interact with them from Point A. It would be temporary, but four of me would exist in this world at the same time.” Four copies of the doc? No thanks. 
But, hm... I kinda get it, but... If the me from a couple seconds ago was pulled out of time, wouldn’t that erase the timeline that brought me here in the first place? 
“Time flows in a singular pattern, but infinite possibilities still branch from the forward march. Here I am right now, standing. But in five seconds, I could be to the left, or right, or forward, or backward. If I move forward right now, and the black crown called upon the hypothetical me that moved backward, the flow of time that led to me being here wouldn’t be disrupted at all.” 
So it’s basically like a parallel world kind of deal? I guess you see that stuff in fiction all the time. I know time paradoxes get used as cheap plot points, too. For example, the Grandfather Paradox, the one that posits a scenario where you go back in time and kill your grandpa before you or your parents were born. What would happen then? From what I understand, the death of the grandfather would prevent your own birth, but that also means you could never have traveled back to kill him in the first place... That’s the paradox, basically. 
But there’s also the idea that killing the grandfather would create an off-shoot reality that preserves the universe by preventing the paradox. It would create two worlds running in parallel. One in which the grandfather survived, and went on to have the family that produced the grandchild... and one in which the grandfather was killed, and thus the grandchild was never born... 
In short, it was a “what-if” sort of world, with infinite possibilities. It seemed like Noir’s ability reached into hypothetical potentials, and manifested them as realities without compromising the past. And that was pretty incredible. If I had faced Noir at night, it might’ve been really dangerous... But given the toll the contractor had to pay, it might not have been so simple. 
“So it’s not exactly pulling things from other worlds, then.” 
“Not quite, no. More like pulling things from the same world, in a different hypothetical timeline. In the many worlds under the survey of that god you mentioned, I’m sure one or two are nearly identical, aside from a few little differences. You can consider alternate timelines to be kind of like that. Identical to this world, but tweaked due to different actions.” 
Made sense to me. The idea would be that there was a single world, and a single flow of time, so Noir wasn’t pulling things from other places, just other potentials. 
“Wonder if that’s the power that pushed the Phrase back five thousand years ago...” 
“I wonder, too... I don’t think the ability alone could push back so many hundreds of thousands of Phrase from the world, though. Elluka hasn’t done much in the way of uncovering information on that, and it seems like Noir has undergone multiple memory wipes since then... There’s nothing we can do for now. Not to mention the fact that messing around with its abilities is dangerous, given the price its contractor has to pay.” 
The cost of mastering a crown was a heavy burden. The fact that its true abilities could only be used at night was probably a blessing in disguise. 
Apparently the weapons it brought out against me during the battle were just supplementary gear and abilities installed on to it by Elluka and had nothing to do with its actual innate power. 
In Noir’s case, when it used its temporal abilities, Norn’s age would regress. She was fifteen, but looked around seven or six due to repeated use of these powers. 
At first glance, it might seem incredible since it can basically guarantee immortality, but using it one too many times could have you regress to a fetal state, which would basically be the same as death. And the fact that she looked so young meant that Noir had consumed at least eight or nine years. 
It was a little bit of a scary power... But if used sparingly, the time could be gained back just by waiting and growing. Norn would grow to be physically fifteen again if she waited those eight or nine years she’d lost. Though mentally, she’d be in her twenties at that point. 
Apparently commenting on her height or looks was ill-advised, and it was simply within her instincts to attack anyone that pointed it out. Or that was what Noir told me, at least. I remembered a movie I saw once that had a protagonist who got reflexively upset when he was called a chicken. That movie involved a time machine too, actually... A bit of an amusing similarity... But nothing more than a coincidence, in the end. 
Elluka got chewed out by her angry sister, but I could glean little snippets of legitimate concern and worry for Elluka’s wellbeing in the girl’s harsh words. Seemed like she was hiding her real feelings behind a harsh façade... Maybe. 
“So, what is the little lady Norn doing right now?” 
“She’s going to stay in this world for now, since Elluka doesn’t plan on leaving Babylon any time soon. I asked her if she wanted to stay in the castle, but she said no and booked out a stay in the Silver Moon instead.” 
“Hmph... Well, it’s helpful to have a crown on hand. Hopefully it’ll help us out... Now, on to more pressing matters.” Doctor Babylon picked up a bundle of paper, set it down on top of her desk, and flipped through it. It was a full copy of the translated journal left behind by Lerios Palerius. 
“We’re assuming the white crown is still in this world, right...? Have you tried using your magic to locate it?” 
“I have, yeah. But there were no hits. I’ve seen the red, blue, black, and purple crowns at this point, and they all looked visually similar. Given their distinct similarities, I don’t think the white crown would look much different.” If my magic couldn’t locate it despite all that, it either meant that the white crown’s appearance had changed, or it was hidden behind a magical barrier. 
It was possible that the master of the black and white crowns from five thousand years ago ended up sealing the white one somewhere for safety. 
“Actually, something concerns me regarding the master mentioned in the diary. The compensation for Noir’s abilities is regression of age, right? And it was used to wipe out the Phrase some five thousand years ago. I’m fairly sure that the cost for such a feat would be massive... Even if their master was extremely old, it wouldn’t surprise me to find that using the ability turned him into a zygote and killed him immediately.” 
“So you’re saying he must’ve died when he used Noir?” 
“Not... exactly? There’s a possibility of him belonging to a non-human race with a longer lifespan, after all... We can’t draw any conclusions, but I did think of another possibility. I was wondering if the white crown’s contractual price could be the opposite of the black crown’s.” 
The opposite? If the black crown’s price is age regression, then... age progression? 
“My current hypothesis is that the white crown’s price is physical aging. By using the white and black crowns in tandem, it’s possible that their master could use their abilities with no cost whatsoever... That’s just a theory, though.” 
Opposite prices, huh? Growing old, and growing young... A plus and a minus... Or rather, a minus and a minus that form a plus in this case, I think. 
Well, that was all hypothetical. There was no point in thinking about how it worked without solid proof. 
“Well, let’s put that aside for now... How’s the Gollem research coming?” 
“Quite well, actually. Would you like to see a sample unit?” Doctor Babylon produced a strange sphere with robotic limbs and a head sprouting from it. It was a miniature model of what we were hoping to produce in the end. 
Design-wise, it was pretty different from a Frame Gear and felt a little more coarse. It wasn’t colored either, but that was probably just because it was a test model. There were various areas with clear parts incorporated into the design. On the real thing, they’d be made of Phrasium. 
“The Gollem’s core is encased inside, then submerged in a gel that can transmit magic much more efficiently. After that, it amplifies the power output. Putting the details aside, the end product would be something just as strong as a Frame Gear, with the capabilities of boosting Gollem skills.” 
“Interesting...” 
“We need to be careful when experimenting with the Crowns, though. We don’t want to accidentally amplify the cost of their abilities.” 
That was definitely true. Depending on the Gollem, that could cause disastrous effects. Especially for Nia’s Rouge or Norn’s Noir. 
“Could normal Gollems be powered up, too?” 
“Yep. We can use the sphere core as a base, then swap out parts to change the model. If we used Fenrir as a base, for example... it’d become animalistic, like this.” 
As she spoke, Doctor Babylon popped off the limbs and head from the humanoid model and fitted new parts into the empty slots. 
Before long, the once-humanoid robot was quadrupedal and vaguely resembled a wolf. It seemed like the customization of these new machines was much higher than that of the Frame Gear. 
We’d be able to customize them to accommodate any kind of Gollem... But stuff like Mr. Sancho’s crab bus would probably be out of the question. 
This would definitely give us the edge in the battle against the mutants. Even non-crown Gollems would be able to hold their own against them if powered up in this way. 
The Reverse World’s boundary line was in way better condition than the tattered one in this world, so it was doubtful any seriously scary enemies would show up there... But it was still way better to be safe than sorry. 
“So, how close are we to completing these?” 
“Around sixty percent, I’d wager. We still need to make tweaks to the crown functionality, though. That’ll take a while.” 
Hmm... I don’t exactly want to force them to rush, but we need to keep up with our enemies. Guess the best I can do right now is wish them luck. 
I left the research laboratory and headed for the rampart. I wanted to speak with the group over there. 
“Yo, Touya. Been a little bit.” 
“We should eat katsudon for dinner tonight...” 
“Lady Melle, we had that two days ago... My personal vote goes to ramen.” 
“Fish. We should have sashimi. With heaping bowls of rice...” 
I sighed quietly as I looked at the four of them. They’d certainly made themselves at home... I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at how easily they’d gotten accustomed to living here. 
“So, have you guys come to a conclusion?” I turned toward Ende and asked him the question, while glancing at the Phrase. The Sovereign Phrase, Melle, was chomping on some cookies. Ney and Lycee were sitting opposite her, eating apple pie. 
“Mm, not exactly. We’re still undecided as to what tonight’s dinner will be...” 
“Not that, moron.” 
Ende just shrugged in an over-exaggerated motion. I was a little bit irritated that their only worries seemed to be what they’d be eating for dinner. 
“I don’t care, so long as I remain with Endymion.” 
“I wish for Lady Melle to return to Phrasia. That is the consensus of my followers, as well.” 
“...I can’t. I’m no longer your leader...” 
Seemed like they were still at an impasse. They’d made no progress at all. Had they just sat around eating snacks? I was pretty irritated. Apparently the three Dominant Constructs, who were unfamiliar with food, found the experience quite novel. As a result, they were eating three square meals a day, and several snacks. 
They didn’t take energy from calories like ordinary people, so it was entirely a pleasurable experience for them. It was just irritating because they asked for so much food every day. At first, they were eating even more than Yae. Every day. Each. We were going through roughly ten cow’s worth of steak every twenty-four hours. It wasn’t sustainable. 
After a while, they stopped eating so much, but the three of them were still eating enough for ten. 
As far as I was concerned, these guys were freeloaders. They were eating free meals on my dime, and I wanted to kick them out... But it would’ve been bad if the wicked god got ahold of them, so I had no real choice. 
I could have chosen not to feed them, but that would’ve been cruel. 
“Much happening out there, Touya?” 
“Not really, no. More mutant attacks in the Reverse World, though.” 
I shrugged and sat on the couch opposite Ende. The whole situation with the mutants felt like a termite infestation. You might not see any clear signs of an issue, but one day the whole house could just come crashing down. 
“Have all the Phrase been absorbed by the mutants now, Ende?” 
“The ones that Ney and the others brought are, yeah. I’d say there are around hundreds of thousands of them now... Consumed ones, I mean.” 
That’s... a hell of a lot. I also remember hearing that Lesser Constructs could replicate themselves under the right conditions. Hopefully the mutants don’t have a stronger version of that ability. 
That meant I’d be getting no more Phrasium to use, though. I had a ton of it, but I needed to start being more conservative with it if the supply was finite. 
Either way, it seemed like these guys were used to their lives in confinement. The Phrase had long lifespans, so they were probably used to being bored. 
From what I’d heard, Melle had actually been borrowing books from Fam and reading them, though. Much like Elluka and Doctor Babylon, Melle could be considered a genius from her world. She had outstanding talent. She was the one who created the method that allowed the Phrase to cross between worlds in the first place. Looking at her hungrily chowing down snacks, I wouldn’t be able to tell that at a glance. Seemed like there was really a fine line between genius and idiocy. 
“Say, Touya... Can’t you let me out a bit?” 
“Moron, didn’t I tell you? If Melle or the others leave this protective [Prison], the mutants will be able to locate them. Are you trying to bring chaos to Brunhild?” 
“No, of course not. I get the risk. I’m asking if you can let me out, not them.” 
Hm... I guess Ende isn’t likely to abandon Melle or anything. I can easily change the settings to allow him to freely pass through... But what does he want to do, exactly? 
“I want to train... I guess. I have a little bit of pride in me as a man, Touya. If those twins come back at me, I want to be strong enough to defeat them.” 
He was referring to the mutated duo that defeated him last time... It was irritating that we had Dominant Constructs on Yula’s side. 
Hmm... His eyes seem pretty honest. Guess he’s upset he lost. 
I didn’t really care if he wanted to go out and get stronger. It’d only be a benefit to us. 
“That’s the spirit, my boy!” 
“Wh-What?!” Ende and I called out in confusion at the sudden, booming voice. A man appeared next to us in less than the blink of an eye. He looked to be around thirty. He had short hair and wore a white, sleeveless training costume that showed off his defined muscles. He had sharp, eagle-like eyes and thick bushy eyebrows. A bandana was wrapped around his head. There was no other way to describe him than... martial artist. He almost looked like a character from a fighting arcade game. 
Given that he’d been able to breach this area meant he was no ordinary person. 
“Wh-What... I-It’s you?!” 
“You know this guy, Ende?” 
“Y-Yes, I do! Wh-When I got the divine blades, h-he appeared and beat the snot out of me!” 
“Nice to see you again, my boy!” 
The martial artist laughed out loud. His booming voice was almost overbearing. 
Wait... The one who beat up Ende...?! 
“Are you... the god of combat?” 
“That I am, son! I’ve descended to this world in a human body! Why? I’m glad you asked! It’s to make my boy Ende’s dreams come true!” 
Seven gods? This is all getting a bit much. We’re at maximum god capacity already, thanks! What is this, some kind of lucky sevens deal? I don’t want it! 
“I’m here now, my boy! Leave it all to me! I’ll etch the very meaning of battle into your body!” 
Ende just stared blankly and pointed at himself in confusion, as if to ask whether the guy was actually talking to him or not. 
God Almighty did mention something about him wanting to take on a new disciple... He’d probably been watching and waiting for a good moment to interject. 
I felt bad for Ende, but it wasn’t any of my business. The god of combat could do whatever he wanted with the guy. Ende wanted to get stronger, so it was perfect. He was going to be the disciple of this god, and that meant neither of them would bother me. 
...It was a necessary sacrifice. 
 
“It’s me, ya boy Mochizuki Takeru! I’m Touya’s uncle, so let’s get along, sports!” 
The god of combat... Or rather, uncle Takeru, laughed boisterously as he greeted the others. They just stared at him in stunned silence. To be honest, he could’ve easily passed as my elder brother, but Karen and Moroha refused. They said they’d rather die or go home than have a brother as irritating as he was. And so, he became my uncle. In short, he was taking on the role of the god of agriculture’s younger brother. 
“...He’s your uncle, Touya? So that means he’s... one of those, right?” Elze quietly whispered to me. 
“Oh... Yeah... He is... He’s the god of combat. He covers fighting, basically... Unarmed combat, martial arts... That kinda thing.” 
I saw the sparkles in Elze’s eyes and realized I should not have said any of that, but it was too late. It was far too late. Elze immediately charged up to uncle Takeru and greeted him. 
“Oho... Those are some well-used gauntlets. You’re a battler like me, ain’tcha?” 
“That’s right. I’m Elze, one of Touya’s fiancées. Can you teach me some new moves?” 
“Fwahahahaaa! Amazing! Well, that makes you my niece! I’ll be training my disciple right after this, so you can sit in on our lesson!” 
“Thank you!” 
Augh... I guess I should’ve considered this. Yae and Hilde learned a lot from Moroha, but Elze fights in a totally different way, so it’s not like she learned all that much... It’s only obvious that a martial artist god would appeal to her from a training perspective. Well, Ende... good for you. You got yourself a sparring buddy. 
“Feel free to train with him, just don’t overdo it.” 
“I won’t. Thanks!” 
Elze grinned as she bunched her hands into fists. She’d be fine, I was sure. Due to the fact that she was being influenced by my divinity like the others, I couldn’t imagine her getting hurt or anything. 
“Alright, you two! First up is a special skill! It’s a special uppercut imbued with the power of a dragon! Who’s ready to sit under a waterfall?!” 
“I am, I am!” 
“U-Uh... I am, I guess...” Ende stared on, looking positively horrified. I wondered if he’d be alright, since he certainly didn’t look it. 

Uncle Takeru put his hands on their shoulders, and they vanished into thin air. He’d probably warped them to some far-off waterfall. Even in a human body, he wasn’t restrained by laws of logic. 
“...Goodness me, Your Highness. I thought I’d gotten used to the sight, but your family is truly... Special.” Prime Minister Kousaka stood there, shaking his head, obviously still reeling from the battle between Takeru and Moroha that he’d witnessed earlier. 
Honestly, that duel was hard to describe. They clashed against each other like primal elemental forces. I was fairly sure that only I and the other gods could even catch their movements. They were going beyond the speed of sound. The match ended after Karina stepped in and notified the combatants that if they continued to fight they risked destroying the entire training field. 
I couldn’t understand how he deflected Moroha’s sword attacks with just the cloth bindings on his hands... Sure they were dulled training swords, but... man, gods were scary. 
“I wonder if she’ll be okay...” Linze muttered quietly out of concern for her elder sister. Karen patted her on the shoulder with a smile. 
“It’ll be fine, you know? That guy might be a musclehead, but he knows about all the right care and consideration in training, you know? Elze will be fine.” 
“He’s actually pretty sweet on chicks. On the flip-side... he’s extra tough on dudes. If anything, I’m worried about the boy.” Moroha butted in and finished Karen’s explanation. The information she’d provided was a little unsettling, though. 
...G-Good luck, Ende... Please come back breathing. 
 
“I never expected you to come down to the mortal world... But I guess it’s not the first time you’ve shown up, huh?” Mochizuki Karina, god of the hunt, sat in a bar with a rugged-looking man, casually chattering to him. 
“I mean, I’m just here to get the stolen weapon back! I guess I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little interested in the new guy, though...” 
The god of combat, or rather... Mochizuki Takeru, grinned a bit as he swilled the mug of ale in his hand. 
“Mmh... This stuff’s great! It’s been a long time since I’ve tried mortal booze, but I must say I like it far more than sacred wine!” 
“Nyahaha! That’s the spirit, Takeru! I like it a bunch, too! Hic! Sacred wine’s good and all for offering, but thish kinda drink just can’t be beat! There’s more appeal in variety, and the mortal realm sure ash hell has a ton of that, hic!” 
The girl muttering to the older-looking man was none other than Mochizuki Suika, the perpetually drunk god of alcohol. She was laying on the ground next to Karina and Takeru. 
The melodic sound of strings came from nearby, as Mochizuki Sousuke played the lute. Karina often came to see him play, as he was her brother in this world. He would frequently play music in the tavern at night, and many people came just to hear his tunes. 
As the music continued to play in the background, a man appeared with a large tray in his hands. The tray had come from the tavern’s kitchen and had an array of fresh dishes on it. 
“Alright, s’done. Got a buncha heapins’ve cully rice, complete with my veggies! Oh, hey, uh... Takeru? Might be a little spicy fer your blood, but it should be good, aye?” 
“Mm. Looks good to me.” 
The god of agriculture, Mochizuki Kousuke, placed a bowl of veggie cully and rice down in front of Takeru. 
Takeru took his spoon and then brought a scoop of the meal to his mouth. His eyes shot open in shock. 
“Amazing! Holy crap! This is delicious... Man, it’s so spicy! But it’s delicious! This force, such power! Hot diggity damn that is good stuff!” 
“Heh... Glad you like it.” Kousuke smiled softly as Takeru continued to wolf down the meal. The god of combat couldn’t afford to lose in a fight, even if that fight was against spice. He continued shoveling the food into his mouth as his eyes watered. 
Before long, his plate had been completely cleaned. He chugged down a fresh mug of ale and let out a thoroughly satisfied sigh. 
“Whew! Food and booze, what more could a man ask for! Thanks, mortal realm!” 
“Oh! You all got started without me, you know? You should’ve waited a little longer, you know?!” 
“Ohh, looks good. Where’s my share?” 
The last two members of the Brunhild pantheon walked into the bar. One was the cheery god of love, Mochizuki Karen. Following in her wake was Mochizuki Moroha, the god of swords. 
There were seven of them in total. Seven gods, manifested in human form, eating and making merry. 
“Let’s celebrate our union, then! Hic! Cheers!” Suika yelled out, prompting the others to clash their mugs together. Kousuke consulted the waitresses for additional snacks and drinks, while Moroha turned to Takeru. 
“So... how are those two disciples of yours?” 
“Mm... They’re pretty good! Ende has a lot of intuition going for him, while Elze has that kind of tenacity I can’t hate! Both of them taught me their own ways, and immediately took to the lessons I started imparting on them! I’m really looking forward to working with them... But aren’t we supposed to be supporting the newbie god? What’s up with that?” 
“Ehh... I think by doing what we’re doing, we’re helping enough. Personally, I train Yae, Hilde, and the knight order. They end up adding to Touya’s power, so it’s good enough for me.” 
“Mm... Guess that’s fine, then! God Almighty told me to help out as best I can, so I’ll keep on training those two!” Takeru said, grinning as he refilled his tankard once more. 
“Just be careful. We’re primarily here to support Touya, so we can’t half-ass things all the time.” 
“There’s no problem, you know?! Me and you, Moroha, we’re supporting him as his elder sisters, you know?!” Karen’s optimism overtook Moroha’s realism. For the most part, Karen was the vocal representative of the other gods, anyway. She often presided over his personal relationships and helped facilitate communication between people in Brunhild. In her own way, she was ensuring that things went smoothly for Touya as well. 
“Plus, a lot of you guys just do as you please! Like you, Suika! All you do is drink, you know?!” 
“H-Hey! It’s, hic, my job to be the cute little sister, right? Hic! I can drink all the time because I’m a mascot! I, hic, do emotionally supportive schtuff!” 
“...Didn’t you vomit down the back of Touya’s neck? What’s emotionally supportive about that?” 
“Ghh... How’d you find out about thaaat?” Suika grumbled to herself, poured some Eashenese sake, and drank some more. Her face was red, but booze wasn’t the only reason. 
Even though she was the god of alcohol, she didn’t have the chance to drink all that often. She was making the most of her chance to drink freely. During that particular incident, she’d had more booze than she was comfortable with, and couldn’t hold back the sudden rush of puke. Given that she was the god of alcohol, it was a matter of personal shame that she couldn’t hold her liquor. 
Kousuke suddenly spoke up, breaking the awkward air. 
“Now, now... We’re all on standby, ain’t we? We just got a lotta free time right now, so it ain’t a big deal. No shame in relaxing now and then, right?” 
As if responding to Kousuke’s comment, Sousuke began playing a more gentle, relaxing tune. It was a famous song that had been covered by various artists and helped set the mood for the situation at large. 
Ultimately, it was up to Touya to actually face down the wicked god. The gods themselves were only here to support him. Even if they were taking human form, it would be no good if they defeated the wicked god on Touya’s behalf. Otherwise, he’d learn nothing. It’d be like a parent stepping in on a child’s feud, and beating up the bully themselves. 
“If Touya loses to the wicked god, this world’ll get nixed by the god of destruction, right? I’d prefer it if we could avoid that outcome.” 
“That’s why we’re helping him by training the people who matter to him. Plus, I wouldn’t underestimate him, in all honesty... He’s favored by God Almighty, too... I don’t think he’ll go down so easy...” Moroha seemed to have confidence in her surrogate brother. 
“Mm... Gotta be careful not to let confidence turn into arrogance, though. I’m pretty impressed by his capabilities, though. I think the lad has some fine combat stuff going on.” 
The god of combat nodded as he munched down on some red meat. From his perspective, Touya was pretty lucky to have the support he’d been given. The people he’d encountered in his journey so far were a blessing for the boy, and he was probably aware of it. 
“Touya’s made a lot of enemies, but he’s made some excellent friends, you know? He’s even got the support of some excellent girls... I know that one, in particular, takes all his trouble in stride, you know?” 
“Yumina? Yeah, she’s a good one. Helps that she can read people’s intentions, too... She’s one of the greatest companions he could’ve met.” 
Moroha and Karen started talking amongst each other. There were people who had malicious intentions, who wanted to use Touya’s status for their own social gain. But Yumina’s mystic eye put a stop to them before they even got close. 
Thanks to that, it was easy to tell that Touya was surrounded by good people. But it was still possible for people to change... In the meantime, though, Yumina put concerns of mistrust to rest. 
The other eight fiancées were also capable in their own ways and could do things Touya wouldn’t possibly be able to achieve on his own. He was lucky to have them. 
“So we don’t really have to help too much, do we? Seems he has the support of some great humans as it is.” 
“Nope. A world of humans is best left to humans, in the end. We can jus’ keep on bein’ subtle with helpin’ the lad...” Kousuke quickly followed up on Karina’s postulation. 
“Well then, let’s just celebrate for now! Touya’s gonna be fine, so let’s take it easy and help him when he needs us!” 
“Cheers to that!” The seven gods wished good fortune to the budding newbie they’d been called to help. The divine in mortal flesh, invigorated by their good evening together, pledged to support him in any way they could.